Fresh on the heels of the first debate between the two least popular presidential candidates since we have been keeping track of such things, 19 (or 20?) PAX met at the Vortex for a meditation on futility. And hope.
We started on the end line after the customary warm-ups—and finished on the end line. Two minutes of merkins, on the end line. Two minutes of hopping back and forth over the same darn line. Two minutes of bear crawls and crawl bears back and forth between the end line and 25 (with three merkins at the transitions); two minutes of traveling burpees to midfield, backpedaling back to the good old end line; three minutes of walking lunges to the 75, crab-walking back to the line; three minutes of sprints back and forth across the whole field, ending at the line. Then, back down the ladder (walking lunges, traveling burpees, bear crawl/crawl bear, jumping, merkins). Futility. No good options at the ballot box.
But wait! Democracy is messy. And sometimes it looks silly. We karaoked to a vacant stretch of fence (silly) and lay four feet apart with our heads to the fence, feet held six inches above the ground. The idea was simple—PAX on the end would do six flutter kicks, then run to the opposite end while the next PAX started kicking. Man, were we terrible! PAX were running everywhere. Seven or eight PAX were doing flutter kicks at the same time. Lacrosse goals were in the way. Disaster. But we kept at it. We got through a cycle with feet six inches up. Then a second cycle with legs straight up. Then we went back the way we came with a third cycle, six inches up. Messy, awkward, imperfect. But, by the end, two steps forward and only one step back.
We prayed a bit harder than usual for our nation—for charity towards one another, for the wisdom to make good choices, and for the grace to do all we can regardless of the outcome of the election to make the world a better place. It is good news to me that there is One with more authority than POTUS.
