Making The Cut

Exactly one time in my high school track career I was enlisted to participate in a 4 x 200 relay race. I ran the leadoff leg. As most know, for a race this long on an oval track the runners each have a lane, and line up in staggered fashion rather than side-to-side to account for the curvature of the track. Since I was in one of the lanes closer to the infield, some were behind me and some in front when the gun went off. I held my own, but I suddenly learned another facet of track racing. Within a hundred yards or so, the drawn lanes come to an end and runners are eligible to converge toward the inner track. This lesson came in the form of a blur that flew in from my right hand side and abruptly left me watching the soles of his shoes, first from a few strides behind, and eventually more. Was I angry at having been cut off? Nah. It didn't impede my progress at all, it's just part of the reality of racing.

Yesterday I was in Kroger buying a few groceries, few enough so as not to need a cart or basket. Having just come from a workout, man I was trucking in full stride. I found myself charging down the snacks aisle en route toward the checkout. Ten steps ahead of me two ladies slowly rolled loaded shopping carts in opposite directions. As Murphy's law of shopping would have it, they came to a stop right next to each other, blocking the aisle.

That is, except for a slender man-sized sliver of daylight between them.

The old track instincts kicked in. Both of them had their backs toward me, lost in their purchases. With a slight swivel to the side, I cut right through them gracefully. Truth be told, had they seen me coming, they'd probably have felt that I was a bit in their personal space. As it was, by the time they knew what had happened I was past them, with little more than a breeze to remember me by. Having impeded nothing of their progress, I was home free to the finish line.

Were they angry? Maybe so, likely not. It's just part of the reality of shopping. If you run a race, or if you block the aisle, congestion's gonna happen.

Just saying.