A couple of weekends ago, I was in Athens, Ga., with Mrs. T, visiting our daughter for her last college parents’ weekend. (Which is crazy to think about, as I feel like we just drove her up there on a sweltering August day to move her into her freshman dorm.)
On Sunday afternoon, we stopped by an antiques mart, where I found an easy chair to sit in while they strolled the aisles. Sitting there, scrolling my phone (of course), I looked up and saw a young mom and dad at the checkout counter, pushing a stroller with their one-year-old in tow.
Their baby was adorable, wearing a black-and-white polka-dotted onesie and smiling up at the woman working the register, who was making faces for her as she rang up their purchases.
Whenever I see babies now, my mind catapults back to when little T was a baby, when I was doing exactly what those parents are doing now. And that’s exactly where my mind was when something else came into view.
A couple in their eighties — a woman in a wheelchair being pushed by her husband — slowly walked past me. For a moment I had both of them in my sight: the baby in the stroller and the woman in the wheelchair, each being pushed by someone they loved.
It only lasted for a second or two; after that, the couple in their eighties had passed me, on their way to browsing the store themselves. But I couldn’t help wondering what stories the woman in the wheelchair might be able to tell me, and what adventures the baby in the stroller might have someday.
That’s (kind of) a long way of saying, I’d not only love to hear their stories — I’d love to hear yours too.
Over the past year and a half or so, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing a couple dozen of you already: Rosalie and Erinn, Ken and Chanse, Edith and Sam, and so, so many others.
You might not think you have an interesting story to tell. That’s what Thu Nguyen believed, when she asked me to “really promise that excitement is not the required vibe from a running story.”
Turns out, hers is one of the best-loved interviews I’ve done so far, as both I and many of you fell in love with her sweetness, her sincerity, and hearing about how she’s forged the unique life she’s now living.
I’d love to hear about your journey with your running/health, the things you’ve learned, the epiphanies you’ve had, the things you’ve discovered. Interested? I hope so.
Just reach out to me, either in the comments below or in a reply back to this email and we’ll go from there.
I really, truly do hope that you’ll consider sharing your story — I’m sure it’s more interesting that even you think.
Your friend,
— Terrell
There are so many more reader stories we’ve shared — don’t miss these:
I love this idea and would love to be part of it.
Thanks for triggering me to go back and read the story you told about me towards the end of last year. A lot has happened this year, including being a pacer for a couple of half marathons and running the craziest marathon of my life - the Medoc Marathon - but the answers to the questions haven't changed. A good thing - I think!