Saturday, September 07, 2002

Browsing through the archives today, from back when I actually got outside, got me thinking about the reactions people have when they see me running. Now, don't get the idea I am a magnificent gazelle when I run; I am more of a magnificent Thelwell pony. I've seen those gazelle-people and they are truly beautiful to watch; I even fell in love with a guy because of the way he looked while running. God knows it wasn't his personality. Anyway, I don't look like that. I lumber, I trot, I mosey, I toddle. So when I get a reaction it generally isn't inspired by the magnificence of my athleticism or any of that rot.

But I will always remember the reaction I got one afternoon down in South Van. By mischance and mischoice I'd decided that it would be nice to run along South-East Marine Drive, which it certainly was not. It was like chewing through truck exhaust under a sunlamp while someone poured over my head the nameless liquid in which weiners loll and bob at the 7-11.

As I toddle/waddled past the old Sikh temple a couple of Indian grannies and their granddaughters came out onto the dirt path, the sidewalk having vanished blocks ago. Both grannies were resplendant (and very few people can really resplend well) resplendant in sophisticated silks, brilliant monochromes of peacock and pink, with a subtle layering of textures between the sari, skirt, top, and headscarf. Really stunning; they were obviously SOMEbodies.

The granddaughters were both about three years old, and at that age the standard thing for doting parents to do is to ruffle them up to the gills; if they cannot put their arms down because of all the lace-trimmed petticoats you've stuffed them into, you've got the look about right. Then you put ribbons on top of that, and attach them with pink silk roses. They looked like those dolls that used to sit in the middle of your older sister's bed, the show dolls, the not-for-playing-with dolls.

As I trotted past them they laughed and broke into a jog, too. The grannies applauded heartily and cheered us on for the rest of the block.

Now THAT made the running worthwhile.