SPLAT!

For the first time in my life I fell face down while I was jogging. I've gone running hundreds of times but never had a mishap, besides dropping my iPod, until this morning.

I blame myself for being careless. I've jogged in the park across the street for more than a year - up and down the same low-grade hills and on the even sidewalks. It was the same basic route every day to the point where I no longer had to think. I was on auto pilot. With summer's hot days, changing the route seemed appealing. Last week, I tried running the tree-covered neighborhood sidewalks and enjoyed the break from the hot sun.

It's a nice change. This route has brick sidewalks that are sometimes uneven, streets to cross and parking garage exits to pass. I traded the familiar but warm path for a cooler, riskier one. And today was my wake-up call to pay more attention.

It's not unusual to get comfortable in a routine. We do it all the time with work, relationships, exercise and even sex. Comfortable is nice, but it's good to change things up a bit so we have to be aware of what we're doing. So we have to think. Be creative. Notice surroundings. Be tuned into others. I've always heard there are more car accidents within a mile of where people live than anywhere else, and I have a hunch one reason is because people are comfortable in driving the familiar path and let their guard down. And then SPLAT!

Today's little mishap was small. I kept running since I had only be out for a few minutes. By the time I got home, the blood dripping down my arm from the spot where the pavement knocked out a chunk of skin had dried. My knee, thigh and elbow still sting and the bruises are starting to bloom.

I'm still glad I changed my routine. Now it's time to pay attention.

Love to the single girls,
Addison