My "Running" Memories

[Mat]

This is kind of like my memoir of the last several years. The overall theme is my running and life experiences that I ran through.

My Running Memories

I also I have my free write about fire alarms and fire from when I did not understand what we were s supposed to be doing. But something came out of it.

Fire

[Margaret F]

Hey, Mat,
Waiting for the drizzle to stop so I can go out for my ... walk. It usually takes me till mid-July, at best, to be able to jog again after trying to walk off my winter avoirdupois. I ran half the Paris marathon once, so I really enjoyed your stories--very funny. A new humor writer is born! On your maps is the town where I spent ages 1-7, Elmwood Park.

I'm impressed that you also, in your Triathalon, swam in the Hudson--tell more about that! it's my dream to swim in the Hudson before my time on earth is over. What was it like? How were the currents? They look very strong. Did it feel "clean enough"? Also, I noticed in your honeymoon photo that you look a bit heavier than now...was that pre-training regime? Wedding cake? I have a theory about why skinny young men put on a bit of weight after they get married.

Thanks for creating such funny fragments and shards--
Margaret

[Paul Allison]

I loved the maps. Running and mapping must be processes that are close together in our brains. Also enjoyed the beer cropping up all over. The first fragment sets up politics... your dad... making me want even more. But I love the running themes.

[Julie]

Ohmigod Mat, you are so funny. Your writing voice is very, very humorous. Now I'm curious about the role that marathons play in your life. And does your wife still run them too? I'm so not a runner, but now I'm wondering what it's like to train and run...

[Wendy Farkas]

My Running Memories is very complicated. I got to the part where your boss held you responsible for the deaths of Dale Earnhardt and Jesus Christ and I wondered how you felt about it at the time. I hate when Christians say Jews killed Christ. First of all, it tells me they are ignorant about their own history, and secondly, it tells me they are anti-semitic. Not good feelings!

[Wendy Farkas]

Fire! It was easy to see your frustration with this topic. It was also easy to see your stream of consciousness. You made me chuckle a few times and you also gave me insight into the significance of running in your life. I think it is interesting that you associated the seriousness of the fire with a marathon. I guess we all use what we know (schema) to put our lives in perspective. I also like that you were able to relate it to the non-runner by referring to the NYC Marathon. You really hated this writing, but I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sticking with it.

[Sonali]

Your story has evolved to focus on marathons. It was really informative (I'll use the info when I decide to run a marathon someday) and had a distinct tone. Thanks for sharing