Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Words and stuff


This is some crazy weather right now. The wind doesn't seem to stop, and the storms keep coming through. Unfortunately, some of the local folks have had some tragic experiences. The winds picked up a double wide trailer and turned it over, killing the woman inside, and sending her husband to the hospital. Others are dealing with property damage and loss of power. Our Low component, at work, suffered some damage during last night's storm. We have been fortunate to have avoided damage so far.

One nice thing about the solitude of running is it allows you to work of the stress of daily life. In my line of work, you deal with society's undesireables. You see what they have done while in what we call the outside world. When you read some of their history, you wonder how someone could be so cruel. How someone could bring themselves to commit such a crime against their fellow man. And wonder how these criminals could think they have done nothing wrong. Almost 22 years in this business and nothing seems to amaze me anymore. But, like they told us when I first walked through the grill in Lompoc, CA.....you have to leave that stuff at work. Never take your work home to your family. So, how do you take the daily work issues and shut them off before you get home to your family? I'm one of the lucky ones I guess. I have a very supporting wife who allows me to vent to her on a daily basis. She listens to my rants, offers open opinions, or just rubs my head and tells me it will all be ok. I have an awesome wife. :)

Another way I deal with my daily stress and frustrations is to go for a run. I remember one particular run, in Texas, where I just had a really bad day. I just finished an 8-mile run and thought to myself, "Still not over it!", and turned around and ran another 4-miles. Upon finishing that run, I was tired but relaxed. The frustration was gone and I had a smile on my face again.

When I first started getting into running, I had a running partner named Matt. We worked at the prison in El Reno, OK. We would run after work and vent about the days events. By the end of the run, the frustration was gone.

I guess what I'm trying to say is running is a great stress reliever. It also helps when you have a good running partner, or an awesome spouse. I have been fortunate to have all the above. Not to mention, my awesome spouse is also my running partner now. :)

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