One Fine Summer Morning

One day, a number of years ago, I had to take an early train. Departure time 7:30, perhaps 7:00.

So I woke up early (for me), got dressed, and set out. Walking towards the train station, the streets were empty. Not a soul out and about yet.

Except for three boys.

As I walked past a schoolyard near my home, three boys, about 13 years old, were out jogging, in single file. They were not going very fast, and they still looked pretty groggy. One of them was short, one of them chubby, one tall and skinny.

I thought to myself and imagined the sequence of events that had led to this moment: those three boys obviously had not simply by coincidence all shown up at that schoolyard at that early hour and spontaneously decided to start jogging. Rather, they had clearly planned it in advance. They had been sitting around, schmoozing, and somehow, the idea of jogging together had emerged, and after discussing it, they had formulated a plan and had agreed to meet at the schoolyard at that early hour and jog together.

I picture each of them going to sleep a bit earlier than usual, setting their alarm clocks. Then, waking up, recalling what they had planned for that morning, pulling themselves out of bed, getting dressed and ready for their jog, and then heading out to the schoolyard. Meeting their friends, and getting busy jogging.

And this, mind you, was during summer vacation, so they could have all slept in as late as they wanted. So what had prompted them to do this? Was it part of some larger project? Were they preparing for some sporting event? I know not.

What I do know is that when I saw those three boys jogging together at 7-ish in the morning on that summer day, for some reason, my heart was filled with an enormous sense of joy.