“I always loved running…it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs.” Jesse Owens
What a marvelous hymn to a passion! Running was Jesse Owen’s life’s calling and he did it with joy and verve! His description of running is almost like a poem, isn’t it? And just think how far the strength of his feet carried him: He made history at the 1936 Olympics right in the shadow of the swastika!
As I read Jesse’s words recently, I realized how apt they are in describing the joys of the writing life—here’s what I mean:
“I always loved running”—When you love what you do, you do it for the sheer joy of what it brings you. Running brought Jesse joy. We, too, at our best, write, because it brings us joy and fulfillment. Words are our way of seeing the world, of making sense of it, of celebrating it, of making it better, of sharing who we are with the world.
“…it was something your could do by yourself, and under your own power”—To me, this is one of the most wonderful things about writing. You can do it by yourself, with only your ideas and the page for company. And we can do it “under our own power”—the only fuel we need is the thoughts in our head!
“You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted…”—Like Jesse’s winged feet, our thoughts can carry us anywhere at any time. We can travel to the moon and back before breakfast, or plumb the depths of the human heart and share its treasures and sorrows. And we can go as “fast or slow” as we want. We create our own pace, our own rhythm. What’s more freeing than this?
“…fighting the wind if you felt like it”—For Jesse, fighting the wind was a form of resistance. And the same is true for us. Sometimes, we find ourselves battling resistance—the obstacles in our way. We can let them overcome us, or, if we choose to, we can fight them and grow stronger.
“…seeking out new sights”—Jesse sought out fresh sights on his running path. We, too, are free to explore and discover new byways on our writing path. What a joy to know that every day gives us the chance to see the world with fresh eyes and an open heart!
“Just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs”—Strength and courage carried Jesse into history. Strength and courage can carry us wherever we want to go. Write on!
