२ नोव्हेंबर, २०२०

"It was the exact same feeling. It was amazing. When I came in from Columbus Circle into the park? I just started crying. The exact same emotions."

Said Trephene Andrea Wilf, quoted in "The New York City Marathon Was Canceled. Runners Ran the Course Anyway. The 50th New York City Marathon would have been Sunday. Some runners still ran the 26.2-mile course despite the cancellation" (NYT). 
Even without the race banners lining city streets and ubiquitous advertisements on subway cars, taxis and billboards, New Yorkers knew the significance of the weekend, perhaps even more so this year. And many took note. They put up signs, cheered for runners in homemade marathon race bibs and wrote encouraging words with chalk on the sidewalk.
The human mind is powerful. It made me think of the Emily Dickinson poem...
To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, 
One clover, and a bee. 
And revery. 
The revery alone will do, 
If bees are few.

२० टिप्पण्या:

Marcus Bressler म्हणाले...

Good for them. Keep living life and ignore the fear merchants.

THEOLDMAN

I used to run marathons back in the 80s; now I just run a 401K

PB म्हणाले...

Like the zombies in "Warm Bodies" mindlessly repeating the actions of when they were alive.

Curious George म्हणाले...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nduf8_iCTOs

I Have Misplaced My Pants म्हणाले...

This makes me happy. Good for you, runners.

Fernandinande म्हणाले...

The human mind is powerful.

Some human minds still belive the nyt.

"Runners Ran the Course Anyway."

No they didn't:
Although they could not run across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, site of the customary start,

They put up signs, cheered for runners in homemade marathon race bibs and wrote encouraging words with chalk on the sidewalk.

No they didn't:
“It felt empty, no crowd, nobody cheering, no aid station, but it was still fun,”

AJ Ford म्हणाले...

I read recently that prairies could only develop because of grazing animals and regular burning by native Americans / nature. Just sayin’.

James K म्हणाले...

I wonder if she's crying for every single bar, restaurant, retailer, theater, etc. that has been ruined financially by Cuomo's insane lockdowns. These are the real victims.

Kate म्हणाले...

As always, Dickinson knocks me flat. So does this post's juxtaposition. Well done.

WK म्हणाले...

Just registered for our community Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. 450 runners with a staggered start over 90 minutes to avoid crowding..... chip timing for the competitive folks .... events are going on in some places.....

CWJ म्हणाले...

Made me feel good today. Pick it apart all you want. I'll take any example of the human spirit striving in spite of officialdom's hamhandedness,

Marcus Bressler म्हणाले...

My village's Thanksgiving morning 4-mile "Run For The Pies" has been cancelled as the powers in charge will not approve a permit due to.....COVID!

dbp म्हणाले...

Good for them!

I ran the NYC Marathon 11 years ago and it was a really enjoyable experience. I've run Boston 3 times and while it has its charms, the first half of the Boston course is pretty boring and by the time you get to the good parts, around the Wellesley scream tunnel, you are too tired to really enjoy it.

Due to the nature of the course, I sort of doubt it can faithfully be run without street closures and special permissions: Some of the bridges didn't look as if you could cross on foot in normal times, at least not as directly as on race day.

https://pecchia.blogspot.com/2009/11/marathon-thoughts.html

daskol म्हणाले...

Emily Dickenson obviously hated science.

Bunkypotatohead म्हणाले...

NY will need people like that to recover from the damage Cuomo and Diblasio have visited upon it.

Yancey Ward म्हणाले...

Good for them, but they are a minority in New York.

JAORE म्हणाले...

Did any decry the lock downs?

Did they wear masks for the entire 26.2 miles? If not was it a SUUUUUUUPER spreader event?

Good thing they didn't tell DeBlasio. He'd have had them stopped and fined.

JAORE म्हणाले...

Well, I clicked. Very few masks.

KILLERS!

JaimeRoberto म्हणाले...

I've done some DIY cycling events during lockdown, either using the same course that the actual event would have used or by making my own course. Two full centuries, one gravel, one road, and a metric century with my wife. It would have been nice to have the care and feeding that the organized events would have had, but planning for self-sufficiency becomes part of the adventure. The risk of getting the virus while outside is next to zero, the exercise is good for my mental health, and I'm getting vitamin D.

n.n म्हणाले...

Remember, physical distancing in time, space, and diversity. Despite CDC, WHO assurance, a single person in a compressed band is a potential super spreader. Oh, and wash your hands, avoid cross-contamination with mouth, nose, eyes, and open wounds, and limit your interaction with viral/bacterial collectors when legally possible.

n.n म्हणाले...

Did they wear masks for the entire 26.2 miles? If not was it a SUUUUUUUPER spreader event?

While wearing masks, yes. However, the probability of aerosol or droplet (before evaporation) transmission in an open space, short of a greenhouse effect, approaches zero. Check that your sanitation system is properly configured to avoid becoming a super spreader, and follow conventional hygienic practices to mitigate cross-contamination.