The final fight scene from the third Matrix popped into my head while on my run today, the part where Agent Smith asks Neo, “why go on? why keep fighting?”
Which sort of aligns with running, right? Why keep this pace? Why head out the door? Why go down the road to hit three miles when home is up ahead? There’s cake at home!
Why go on? Why do anything?
“I choose to,” replies Neo.
Choice, the big theme in The Matrix. It all comes down to choice.
Staying home and watching movies and eating snacks in a choice.
Heading out for a run is a choice.
Starting a podcast is a choice.
Ending a project is a choice.
I’ve been writing in public (as my buddy Dino puts it) since the early 90s. Like, coming up on 30 years or something. Zines, blogs, newsletters, social media – so much writing, spread out so many different places.
Some of that writing got me jobs, adventures, friendships, heart ache, whatever. Writing in public got me here. What I did is partly why I’m here.
So why write? Because it can lead somewhere.
Why run? Because it can lead somewhere.
Inaction is needed, rest is vital. To reinvigorate, grow, and expand. There’s a season for rest, and a season to move.
Objects in motion stay in motion.