The most important tenet of my life has become the test of belief and faith. It’s tension within meaning, like how can you have a utopia except in the context of something that isn’t? This is not some kind of “hurr-durr me stronk because me fite!” tough guy nonsense, but a deep sense that although anyone can declare anything of themselves in isolation, he true test of our character comes from without.

So over the past few months I’ve begun to build a circle of friends who run. In running with them, talking to them, I’ve begun to see a Mark who’s grown and matured from the last time I took stock of myself. He’s learn and strong, with the endurance to cover kilometre after kilometre without getting out of breath. As much as running is a solo activity, it’s so wonderful to get that and to give it back to everyone else. People are awesome.

It’s weird-and good!-to see myself through everyone else’s eyes.