We Are Made To Persist

I was out the door at 6:45 this morning. It was 42 degrees. I watched the sun rise over Sheep’s Meadow waiting for my running partner. The sky was clear. Everything was still. She overslept, so I ran alone. And while it was a bit of a chore, I felt so much better for the doing.
Back home, I actually made eggs for breakfast. Together with the fistfull of vitamins (including 8000x the USRDA of B-12), washed down with coffee and fresh squeezed o.j., I was unstoppable. Once into the office, I did softshoe routine in the newsroom, for God’s sake (for comedic affect, of course).

At work, though, between paying rent, trying to get to my friend’s art opening in Philly tonight, trying to coordinate tomorrow’s “New York” video shoot (more on that as it develops), parent’s weekend (dad’s en route), Saturday’s REM show, Sunday’s half marathon, and Sunday night’s birthday party — something had to give. Sadly, it’s the quick trip to Philly, where I was supposed to hang out with half a dozen high school friends. Instead I’ll sit in my apartment and watch volume four of Ken Burns’ ‘The Civil War.’

What does it all mean? I think I’ve lost a little bit of balance here in the home stretch. I’ve been drinking too much beer, and not enough water. I’ve been eating too many pretzels, and too much ice cream. I’ve been sleeping late, and not exercising enough. And my bank account’s in trouble. Sure, it’s probably to be expected. There is a lot going on. But this is the homestretch! The record will be done within the month! The New York City Marathon is exactly one month away!
And so, I go back to my college professor, and most-loved mentor, author Tobias Wolff, who writes in his memoir In Pharoah’s Army, “We are made to persist. That is how we know who we really are.”

Who are you?