“No matter how careful you are, there’s going to be the sense you missed something, the collapsed feeling under your skin that you didn’t experience it all. There’s that fallen heart feeling that you rushed right through the moments where you should’ve been paying attention.”

-Chuck Palahniuk

I ran a half marathon in October (“run” being a strong word, really). The 13.1 miles wove in and out of an amusement park at night.

For the most part, we trucked along stretches of nothingness: trees and paved road and darkness and nothing more.

And then there were these short bursts of life. With lights and rides and attractions and animals. Blasts of color, excitement, animation.

As soon as you’d get to those brief moments of glitter, you’d immediately pick up the pace. Taking longer strides. Running faster. The sheer thrill of it all propelling you through. Without even thinking.

During that race I remember wondering, why don’t we slow down when we get to the good part? Why don’t we ease our pace and pause and breathe it all in?

It’s the same race we run each day. Sprinting through the best parts when we should’ve slowed down. When we should’ve been paying attention.