My body knew the sun was on it's way, and woke up early. Suddenly I realised that I could go run once my bnb owner switched the alarm sensors off (the sad reality of suburban life in South Africa.) But I got into my running gear with a sense of excitement and trepidation because I haven't run for a while. I set my GPS for the beach -a mere 2km away from where I am staying. But I'm not fit enough to run there and back, plus the house is on a hill which means a tough return.
On arrival at the promenade, I saw all these morning people running, walking, cycling, exercising their dogs and I started to grin. I ran past the Blue Lagoon Hotel where I stayed for 4 weeks on a work shoot in my twenties and remembered that I was certainly not a morning person then. I am now.
I love the freshness of a new day, a whole 16 hours to explore, laugh, eat, chat and withdraw if need be. I smiled at the memory of how full of despair my young self used to be. I berated my lack of discipline, lack of completion, lack of passion for life.
Now here I am - middle aged- willing running along the beach and saying 'morning' to strangers. ( Okay, sometimes it's just a smile or nod of a head)
I ended up running further than my intended 5km but I didn't take into account my curiosity about the piers. Standing there, watching the surfers on their boards wait for the waves, I realised that is as close to surfing as I will get.
I have changed my attitude to life but I am still unlikely to surf (the sea that is, the 'net'- I can handle!)
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