September 5, 1979 (Wednesday)

From running log:
Cross country practice. 2 mile warmup, then 3.1 miles hard workout and 0.3 miles cooling down (5.4 miles) It was hot and dry again, 90F. We did intervals on the grass near the BHS baseball field. 2 x 110 yds, 3 x 220 yds, 3 x 440 yds, 2 x 880 yds, 2 x 440 yds, 2 x 220 yds, 3 x 110 yds. Everyone was tired because of the heat, and school just starting. Verona Invitational CC meet on Saturday, with huge medals to first through 10th place!

30 years later:
The older I get, the more amazed I become at the ability of the young to switch gears, both physically and mentally. By that, I mean that we were able to go from summer to school year in just a couple of days, immediately adapting to a completely new schedule, routine, diet, sleep pattern, and sports season. But it's more than just adapting, because I think anyone with an open mind and a flexible attitude can adapt to changes around them; it's more like a paradigm shift. Not only could we adapt, but we would immediately see the new lifestyle as the norm; that is, it didn't seem like we were adapting! One day it was summer vacation without a care in the world, the next day it was an early alarm, a full slate of classes, intense cross country practice, homework, and plotting out the dates of semester exams. Presto!

I think it's perhaps a pity, and a loss, that as we age we don't somehow maintain that mindset. Whatever life throws at us, wouldn't it be less-difficult if we could accept and just move forward, instead of pushing back?

Or, am I seeing the past through rose-colored glasses here? Is it possible that the seeming flexibility of youth is actually an inherent aspect of emotional immaturity? Perhaps being able to let go of the norm and embrace the new at a moment's notice isn't always a beneficial approach. As we mature, we build a life for ourselves, including: committed relationships and marriages, children, careers, close friends, ties to our communities, and a deeper sense of belonging. Perhaps it is the sense of comfort and meaningful experiences that we have achieved which prevent us from always readily jumping into the next new thing to come along.

In essence, this is one of the dilemmas of the human condition. Progressivism v. conservatism. And I do not believe this is a simple duality of opposing forces. Not only is it a spectrum with an infinite number of intermediate gradations, but it is also situational: you might be progressive in certain aspects of your life while conservative in others, so the trait is likely to be influenced by circumstances. Bear in mind that I am not talking about politics here, a realm in which these terms are co-opted and distorted by the selfish and power-hungry. I'm talking about how you, yourself, conduct the affairs of your life. May you find the right balance for you and your loved ones.

Back to more mundane concerns: 30 years ago on this date I was focused once again on winning a medal at the upcoming invitational, at which nine area high school cross country teams would compete. With perennial cross country power Fennimore in the race, I was clearly setting my goals high. But those lofty goals are what helped me push through a tough pyramid workout on this day, and flop onto my pillow that night both tired and satisfied.