Sorry, this is what I REALLY meant to show you.

Brazilian Wish Bracelet

A Morning Run

I woke up this morning eager to go running. I don't know whether or not anymore that I'm just running to satisfy my worries about my weight, my health or I actually still enjoy running. There was some point in time last year that I was obsessive about running and I think that had reached that peak they like to call "runner's high."

My plan this morning was to run up to fire trail in the hills. I did so, going up Vine and up to La Loma and behind Memorial Stadium. I followed my usual trail up the mountain and I was planning to stop at the bench. I digress - when I was running I thought of the bench and how I use it as a mark not only for the view, but to track my distance and that's where I usually stop. this would be known as my benchmark.

I had almost reached the bench near the middle of the valley where the two Berkeley hills met in the middle. I dreamed about how the view would be spectacular like it always is when I make my way up there, but when I had just about reached my benchmark, I saw morning sun shoot beams of light that was formed by the overshadowing leaves. The rays would peer their way through the tiny slivers in between the leaves and underneath their shade, lied tiny stubbles of young grass still dappled with dew from the early morning. Behind this slight hill, I couldn't see anything but light so I thought that had been a summit. I was more than eager to climb over this incline and so I made my way up by ways of climbing along the roots that protruded out near the base.

My anticipation grew as I reached the top and I was enthralled at the feeling that I had actually reached the summit. I could only dream of what the view would look like behind this slope - it would be so much different and so much newer than my usual view from the bench. When I reached the top, I peered over and I saw a thick cloud-like fog passing along the ground and moments later when it had passed, a deep-green sea of trees exposed themselves to me. I was entranced by the depth and density of this sea of green. I scanned to the West of the forest-green sea and the view of the whole city of a Oakland and the vague outline of San Francisco skyline was breathtaking. I stood there for a few moments, not just to absorb the view and the momentary euphoria that it came with, but I was paralyzed by the beauty of it all that I was unable to move.

After this, I found myself at the base of the trail with either side sloping up. I decided that I might try my luck at the slope that led to the even higher ground of the two slopes. I made my way over that hill with caution as the slope was steep and the gravel was loose. This didn't really bog me down as I could only expect greater things from what must be offered from the much higher altitude. Indeed this was the case; when I reached the summit of this new path, I found myself standing before the highest peak overlooking the Berkeley side of the mountain. I surveyed the magnificent view from the other side of the mountain now and I was able to see my bench roughly 100 yards below me. It felt amazing to be even higher than before, higher than ever. You don't realize that there is always higher ground above you and a lot of times it is deceiving to think that you've reached the zenith, when you've only just begun.

The hike down from this mountain was a blur compared to my way up. The whole hike down, I could only think of what I had just experienced and how rewarding this time was. I thought about how my benchmark before and how I used to be and how I used to think. I seldom think of how much greater anything can become before I'm too hasty and move onto think of something else completely. My hike down was a rush not only because I was running, but because I could only think of my next greater endeavor up that mountain.