Mac recently went to Hawaii and brought back a rock with a petroglyph depicting a runner and gave it to T3. We can discuss why he didn’t offer to take the rest of the Pirana’s with him to Hawaii later, but for now we should think about the image on this rock:
The Hawaiian system of trails and roads is still in use today. Kukini, the runner or messenger, often carried important news. Sometimes they even carried snow from the top of Mauna Kea to the shore to cool the ali’i. It is worth mentioning that in ancient cultures only important events and tasks that were critical to survival were carved into stone to be remembered and used to teach the young as they grew.
In pre-industrial revolution societies, someone who could run distances and deliver news or carry items of value from one location to another was a valuable individual. People kept in shape, not as a pastime, but as a way of life that was necessary for survival.
When we run, we are not just getting exercise or burning calories, we are connecting with the people we used to be. Running is pure in its form and function and it reminds us that life is only as complicated as we choose to make it. Running is simple, which is why it is so hard.