A Quick Thought

                When I was a kid, one of my favorite cartoon characters was Sonic the Hedgehog. He was who got me interested in reading comic books. Not Spider-man or Batman or the Fantastic Four. He was my gateway drug of sorts. Flash forward to today. Since I work overnight, Alyson said I need to be in the sun more. Clearly she is right, so I decided to start running. I wonder now whether Sonic ever ran for fun or exercised even. Seeing as how he had to run so often to defeat Dr. Robotnik. Maybe during his off time he enjoyed sitting still.

                What I have learned to love about running is the solitude. I like running with people as well, but I take great joy in being alone with nothing but miles ahead of me. I don’t think everyone should take up running, but I do think that everyone should have time to just think. It’s very therapeutic.

There is something that can’t quite be described that happens to you when you are alone with your own thoughts. Sometimes you find understanding and sometimes you find more questions. Sometimes you dream and sometimes you reflect. No matter what I end up thinking about, I almost always feel like I accomplished a little something.

The Bible tells us that we should reflect on God’s word. I used to think this meant that I was supposed to read my Bible every day, a habit I was never great at keeping. But, when was the last time you just thought about God? I often take something that I have read a thousand times and just think about it. What does it mean? Why was it written down in the first place? What sort of personal context have I added to this passage over the years? How is God represented here? It is a lot easier to read words on paper but it takes work to chew on it and let it seep in.

If we simply fill our heads with information but never process it, what good are we accomplishing? I find it much more interesting to contribute to a conversation that has been taking place for thousands of years. I wonder what Sonic is thinking about when he’s running?

By the way, here is the view from my 5 mile run today.

On a separate note, I have decided to go see the remake of the Evil Dead. I am both terrified of the film itself and terrified that one of my favorite movies ever is about to be ruined. If you’ve seen it, drop a comment and let me know what you thought of it (no spoilers please). As Doug Benson would say, this movie is not for emetophobes. Thanks Doug.

 




For all the science nerds reading this, here is a video I came across a while back that I enjoyed. It discusses the physics behind Sonic the Hedgehog. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYFpAeqaCrw

UPDATE: I went to see Evil Dead. Thought the film was wonderful and true to the original while still telling a unique story. Also, you should not see this film if you are the least be squeamish. It is truly terrifying.