I’ve been running a lot lately. Sometimes I get a pebble in my shoe. Often I don’t want to break my stride and I leave the pebble. I kick it up near my toes so I can avoid stepping on it, and I keep running. Recently while kicking a pebble I was reminded of a memory with my late Father-in-law.
I had found a small screw in my tire. I didn’t want the hassle. The screw was near the sidewall and I thought I might have to replace the tire. The car used expensive tires because I liked to drive fast. I had driven with the screw for a day or two and the tire didn’t seem to be leaking air. When I mentioned it to him he said, “Man. Don’t drive around with a screw in your tire.”
You can run a lot of miles with a pebble. You can drive a lot of miles with a screw.
The last time I ran with the pebble, it rolled to the ball of my big toe and I came down on it while on pavement. The pain was tolerable at the time. I stopped, shook out the pebble and kept running. The next day though my foot was bruised. I had to take the day off running.
I did end up taking my car to get the screw out the same day. I did have to replace the tire. I didn’t have a blow out on the freeway at 80 miles an hour.
Not all the nags in life have consequences as dire as an 80 mph freeway blow out. Or as small as a bruised foot. Recently the nag was a trash can that was falling apart. And a charge cable that wouldn’t consistently charge my phone. And a lap desk that didn’t like to stay up. Glasses that fall off of my face when I lean over, or walk. A tea strainer that was falling apart. I started to notice these nags weighing on my psyche. Nags that continue become votes against my better self.
I’m trying to cast new votes. This last week I bought a new tea strainer. A new charge cable. A trash can and a lap desk. I’ve made the appointment for new glasses.
There will always be another pebble, but I’m not going to keep running with them.
It’s interesting to notice our tolerance level for different sizes of pebbles/nags.