Against the Wind

“It’s seemed like yesterday, but it was long ago. Jane was lovely she was the queen of my nights. There in the darkness with the radio playing low…”

The familiar song blasted out from his iPod’s tiny white headphone speakers.  It was Bob Seger’s Against the Wind — one of his favorites. He got lost in the song while he did his morning run.

A firm headwind pushed against him like God’s hand shoving him back.  Trees had broken and power lines had snapped. It was a rough morning to run.  The wind was gusting up to 40 mph right into his face. (Imagine driving with your parking break on. That’s how he felt.) He smiled — at least the run back would be easy.  “I bet I can outrun a Kenyan with a tailwind today,” he thought while cresting the hill and catching another gust in the face.

Footstep after footstep.  It seemed like his whole life had turned into running into a headwind.  But he kept running, figuratively and literarily.   This was no time to quit.

“I guess I lost my way, there was so many roads. I was living to run and running to live.”

He had been thrown under the bus by people he had respected. His career was in doubt. His family was in shambles.  It seemed like no one believed in him. It was like life had thrown 1,000 paper cuts at him at once. And then dipped him in rubbing alcohol. But he kept his head up and pressed forward.  He ran swiftly past self-pity.

“I found myself seeking shelter against the wind.”

Shelter. Faith in a better future was his shelter. He knew that eventually the headwind would turn into a tailwind. He had to keep pushing. He had to keep fighting.  He had to keep running.

“Deadlines and commitments. What’s it leave in, what’s it leave out. Against the Wind, I’m still running against the wind. I’m older now but still running against the wind.”

He felt his heart pounding. He was alive. He still believed in his dreams. And he knew he could keep fighting. Better days were ahead. So he continued to run against the wind.