Mixology

I stepped out of my warm cozy condo into the crisp air this morning and jogged my way to the front of the complex. My legs felt heavy, but I pushed forward, playing out my mile splits in my head. Running towards the mountains and focusing on hill training kept my mind absorbed until I hit the running trail and had a 4 mile flat segment to cover. My thoughts kept bouncing around, finally landing on an old song that sounds slightly off tune in my head. After having been deaf for 6 years, I am stuck replaying the same mix tape to myself repeatedly. Like a summer hit that makes you change the station by Christmas, but there is nothing else to hear. Alanis, Aaliyah, Britney... The Doors, Joplin, Creedence... my old favorites are on constant rotation. The trail seemed to stretch before me for an eternity, droplets of sweat beaded along my hair as my breath quickened. Running can just be so boring without any external entertainment! So as I passed Archibald and felt my muscles warm up, I cleared my throat and started singing out loud. My pace matched the beat as I belted out Gloria by the Doors in my best warbled Jim Morrison impression. Suddenly a smile caught my lips and the path began to pass by more quickly. I repressed the urge to stop and do a dork dance as I belted out Waterfalls by TLC and rapped Left Eye's part with a bounce in my step. As I waited for traffic to pass at a light I started into a heartwrenching performance of You Oughta Know, only slightly lowering my volume when passed by a few kids on bikes. The final steep descent to the top of Day Creek inspired a bit of I Believe I Can Fly by R Kelly, and as I pounded my way to the top I was finally silenced. I looked out over the little city I have lived in all my life, and absorbed the sense of accomplishment for a minute before heading back downhill, humming We Are the Champions without a shred of irony...