Hawaii is a great place for out-doors people. The weather is pleasant year-round. The water temperature makes a pleasant experience for swimmers and beach goers day and night. It's also a runner's paradise. There are running trails through mountains, mountain passes, valleys, forests, parks, beaches, coasts, and more.
I can't really remember when I started running. I believe that it all began when I was living in Mexico City. I used to wake up around 4:30am to jog for an hour or so. The sights weren't marvelous, but the exercise, exhilaration and ensuing health was. Since then, I used to run in the spring, summer, fall and winter in Michigan and Washington, DC. Mary and I frequently ran together in DC. We would jog around the university campus on weekdays. On the weekends, we would go for runs around the beautiful monuments and Mall area of the nation's capital. In December of 2006 I ran the Honolulu Marathon. The experience is difficult to describe. My parents gave our family the best gift this Christmas: a running stroller. With the beautiful weather, we have been able to go on family jogs around our neck of the woods--along the Ala Wai Canal, through the Manoa Valley, around the University of Hawaii campus, along Diamond Head coast, and through Waikiki. The Waikiki jog is one of my personal favorites for a moderate run. As a crow flies, we live about 1.5 miles from the beach. The Waikiki jog from our house to the beach and back again is a pleasant 6 miles. It's always fun to run under the shade of the palm trees, to watch the waves lap upon the shore, to observe tourists and visitors marveling at the beautiful sites with which we have become so familiar. I wish I could say that I run for the pure pleasure of it. Yet, the truth is that I do it to stave off a belly. Though I have to admit, it's a great past-time, a wonderful subterfuge for prayer, and a great way to have chats with Mary. Hopefully as Maddy gets older, she will enjoy running as much as her dad.
Current Affairs Commentary
There has been some recent discussion in the news about religion among the presidential hopefuls. The novelty of Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith have raised the question in the American public. Of course the MSM has joined on the bandwagon. Can a public servant slice his or her life into segments? "On the one hand, this is my private/personal life; on the other hand, this is my public/professional life." It seems nefarious and psychologically unhealthy to expect any individual to live dual lives. I can understand how official positions (policy formulated by a specific institution) can contrast with personal opinions. A person may personally oppose free trade agreements and yet, for professional reasons, broker a trade agreement. However, a human individuals, we are integrated composites. Our personalities are multifaceted and interconnected. I am a dad, a student, a husband, a researcher, a son, a friend, a Catholic, a member of the human race, etc. Every person can list any number of hats that he or she must don on a daily basis. Putting on one hat doesn't mean that a person can drop the rest of the hats. These many facets of our lives are interconnected and interdependent. Life can't be any other way. Much to secular progressives' chagrin, moral principles serve as the foundation for every opinion in the private and public sphere. There's no way around it. We elect public officials with the understanding that they won't always do what we want. We elect them with the knowledge that they will use their conscience, discretion, and moral values to make the best decision (according to their opinion). We shouldn't ask them to do anything otherwise! We can feel free to disagree with them, of course. Going back to the original question, I do believe that religion matters for public officials. I don't believe that religion should be the deciding factor for voters. Values and opinions, within a religious construct, can provide us with the best measure of a man. By the way, I am not endorsing Romney or any other candidate at this time. I am still forming my own personal opinions about the presidential candidates. I will keep you posted.
Quick Thoughts on Today's Gospel
Readings Today -- If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love
Love can be elusive at times. We look for it everywhere and find it nowhere. Atrocities around the world spring up because of this love void. The key to remaining in his love is to keep his commandments. It sounds simple enough. However, faithfully carrying out his commandments can be a doozy. His love brings true peace, the internal kind. Whenever I feel anxious or unloved, the first place I go is God; the first relationship I analyze is my relationship with God. Everything else falls into place when we live in his love and follow his commandments. It's impossible to expect perfect peace and perfect joy in a intrinsically violent and imperfect world. We can, nevertheless, anticipate and prepare ourselves for these wonders by striving to live the albeit imperfect peace and joy that God intended for us in this life.
