Un-Popular

I was many things in high school.  I was an athlete (soccer, basketball, softball, track).  I was a drama freak.  I was a book nerd who got straight A's.  I was involved in almost every club.  I was voted Homecoming Queen because I was nice to the freshmen and they were the only ones that still brought their Student ID's to school every day (which you needed to vote).  I was voted class clown my Junior and Senior year...although they wouldn't give it to me my Junior year.  I held an office in Student Counsel.  I attended most all sporting events, including swim meets and tennis matches.  I even partied with the teachers.  With all of this on my resume I still wouldn't consider myself "popular".  Maybe I knew a lot of people, and even more people knew me, but I never thought I was popular.  I didn't get picked on or bullied either.  I considered myself middle of the pack.

Nowadays, I'm still the class clown.  I'm still the athlete.  I'm still a book nerd.  And I love it!  What's awkward these days is when I run into people who know me and remember me from school.  I don't have a bad memory, it's just that (as evidenced from above) I was involved in a lot and I crossed paths with thousands of people through my high school years.  I'm sorry if I don't remember you, but unless you were actually on one of my teams, in drama with me, or involved in countless other activities alongside me, then I might not remember you.  The girls at the office make fun of me because of all the people that recognize me when we go out to lunch or shopping or anywhere really!  Last night at volleyball, these 2 people remembered me and they both graduated when I was a freshman!

I guess there's one thing that's better than being popular...and that's being Unforgettable!  So, I'll take it!  I've done many things in my life that weren't popular, but they're unforgettable!  Like the time I took my shirt off on top of a bar to get a free shot, come to find out it was Rumpleminz...yeck! 

Recently, I've gained a greater love of running, which has become very popular.  But my ultimate goal for running is how each race that I complete becomes an unforgettable peice of my history.  I'll never forget the first time I was in a race: It was in October of 2004 and I was the anchor leg of a 5-person relay.  It was so amazing to cross that finish line.  I continued my training and ran my first ever half-marathon in Phoenix in 2005.  I thought I was pretty cool telling people that I'd run a half-marathon...I was in a lot better shape and 7 years younger then, but it was still unforgettable.  And just this past Sunday I finished my 6th half-marathon, adding yet another notch on my belt for accomplishing something that I'll remember for the rest of my life. 

That's why I think running has become so popular, because it gives you the opportunity to go out and do something for yourself that is unforgettable!  It's why we push ourselves so hard during training, why we time ourselves religiously, why we cry when we cross the finish line, why we run in harsh weather for a free medal and a tech shirt, why we ignore our sore bodies just to get one more mile in, why we rearrange our schedules to make sure we get in our long runs, why we bless mother nature with our own offerings, why we think it's okay to run while we're sick or injured, and why we raise our arms in triumph for doing something that makes us proud!

Why do you run?

Where you popular in high school?

~Chix