I'm a regular Forrest Gump!

I have mentioned many times that I want to start running, but I haven't really done it yet. Here and there I've done a little jogging, but I have this strange fear. Of what, I'm not entirely sure, but it's there. I guess there's a little apprehension about the enjoyment factor, but I never thought I would like the gym and I was wrong about that, so I don't really know what the hold up is. Maybe I'm just afraid to do it by myself.

I do have an aversion to doing things alone. A friend once challenged me to go to the movies by myself, and I actually did it! It was super weird, and it felt a little bit like I was there with my childhood imaginary friend Labebo (not even kidding, I named my imaginary friend Labebo, and he got hit by a bus and died. Maybe I should go to counseling.) because I kept turning to the chair next to me when there was a funny moment to share the laughter, but then I would remember that no one was there. When people looked at me funny I should have just said, "What? I'm on a date with Jesus."

Anyway, the running hasn't started yet. Miraculously though, after the weekend I had, the fear is gone! One of my best friends, Rocio, had a birthday party on Saturday that included a water balloon war. This sounds fun in theory, but then you factor in my abhorrence of getting wet outside the shower, pool, or ocean, and my incredible propensity toward ankle and knee injuries on uneven or slippery surfaces, and suddenly this doesn't seem like the best party for me to attend. It's not like anyone is gonna let me sit back and be a spectator. I avoided the first round of balloon tossery by video taping. My friend Rebecca took this picture, and look at the hesitance to join the fight written all over my face!



I escaped most of the second battle by talking to an emotional woman in the parking lot for a really long time. She told me her life story and she cried. I guess she just needed someone to talk to, and Rebecca and I prayed for her. We came back just as the last balloons were being launched, and Rocio's sister Sandy did get me with a couple balloons. That was okay, but then the bucket full of water came out. They were determined to get me wet, so Rocio's brother told Sandy and Rebecca to take my phone away so he could pour the water on me.

That sounded like nothing short of torture, so I took off running toward the parking lot. I thought for sure they would catch up with me and I would end up looking like a drowned rat, but it turns out that I'm a much faster runner than I expected to be! I was running quickly enough on the grass, but once I was on the pavement and there was no fear of uneven ground to trip me up and sprain my ankles, I took off like a bullet! I had my car keys in my hand, and my plan was to lock myself in my car if I could get there without being caught, but I thought for sure they would catch up with me. However, I was running so fast that they gave up! I used to be a fast sprinter when I was a kid, but I don't think I have even tried to run fast for over ten years. For some reason, I didn't think I would physically be able to.

I did more than outrun Rebecca, Sandy, and a soggy evening. I took off full speed and left my fear in the dust! Now say it with me in your best Forrest Gump: "Ah was ruh-ning!"