'Why do you run, you ask yourself' by Sarah Masters

and you explain that everyone’s getting older and it’s important to keep strong when you see the frailty of your father who ran marathons back in the day but now can barely walk to the door without a stick. But why run, you ask yourself, why not walk, and you explain that running is good for boosting mood and concentration and the pain in your knee helps muffle the pain of your father unable to say what he means or how he feels. And the reason why he’s in that place and not at home and doesn’t remember your name any longer is something you can cloak with your creaking knee and wheezing breaths and chatter from birds that scatter as you run. But why run, why not talk, you ask yourself, everyone’s getting older and shouldn’t we talk about what it means and how we feel? And you explain that talking opens up too many whys and too many how longs and in the end it’s just easier to run.