Happy Trails!

Much like when speaking a foreign language, I often derive greater joy from the rewards of running than from the act itself. I can make numerous mistakes (wrong conjugations, poor breathing rhythm), which leads to problems (misunderstandings, feeling winded) that don’t necessarily prevent me from reaching my ultimate goal (having a conversation, jogging 5 km). Running is a purification ritual for me: it relieves stress, jumpstarts my circulation, and helps me sweat out any bad energy. Furthermore, my after-run shower provides yet another cleansing experience. Running has also made me more aware of my body: its functions, its impulses, how/when to satisfy them. Students and scholars aren’t “brains on sticks” and literary analysis often demands that they make inferences based on normal functions. For example, in one of my French courses, an observant student noticed that the poem referenced “cold tears” instead of the warm sensation one normally feels when crying. Going forward a level, I’m currently reading L’enfant noir by Camara Laye. The author’s sensory descriptions of his childhood homes, family members, and cuisine add another layer of richness to a great story. To extend this argument further, my own interests have shifted more to studies of race and gender. These intellectual constructions have strong, unstable relations to the corps physique. It’s while running that I often see the connections between facts and experiences – may you find some inspiration of your own today.