By Jan Vicente B. Pekas
The pandemic had brought us more time than we can handle. Some had been productive, while others like me resorted to a gluttonous lifestyle. This decision was not without consequences. My weight soared like the prices of goods during the pandemic. And while eating meals enough for two people have its pros, reality came soon enough.
Face to face classes will soon come, and looks play an important part in every teenager’s self-esteem. An out of shape kid is not something I want to present myself to the world. Hence, jogging every week was the solution I had thought of for myself.
As someone who was far from an athlete, jogging was an excruciating process. And at times I had to resort to walking to catch my breath. But eventually, through persistence, jogging have become something I would look forward to every week. From the stunning views of Marcos Highway and the beauty of its people (mostly women), were some of the factors that made it enjoyable.
Our lives today slowed down due to the pandemic, almost to a walk, nevertheless, we move on. No matter how slow, we only go towards one direction, forward.
Passersby may come, whether its criticisms or praise they will give us, most of the time we won’t know. They can come from the front or from the back. But just like the cars that I encounter, they will pass soon enough. And down the road will come bigger problems we have to worry about.
Several debris may block our path, like rocks beside the road, but we will always find a way around these. Our journey of moving forward cannot be stopped by such mundane things. However, because of our endless pursuit of the future, we sometimes fail to look around us. The view and the people we meet are sometimes better than the journey itself. And an amazing scenery can give us the energy for a second push to be able to get through the finish line.
Jogging is very different from a sprint. It’s not about coming in first, it’s about finishing. Each of us will take different paths and encounter unique problems. Yet, we all move towards the same place called success. What we consider as victory can be different from one another. Some will only label themselves as successful when they become rich, or have raised a family, or got their children through college, etc. However, as different as our paths are, hardship will be one factor we will all meet.
As we eventually finish our respective journeys, a view will be set before us. A sight that cannot be seen when on the road. A scenery that can only be seen when at the top. However, for many people who are still in the middle of their respective journeys, no view can heal the scars caused by hardship.
But the view I see at the end of my jogging sessions is always mesmerizing. And if the reward of something simple can be that beautiful, then the sight at the end of our long term journey must be something we should all be eager to see.**
