Today, from step one, was different. I never met Cameron Bean. But he could have been me. He could have been me in 1988 when I first began running to Moccasin Bend.
He could have been me Sunday morning...even Thursday afternoon. I have passed his way a thousand times over the past 30 years.
And today was day one. The first day when I ran past a place that I will never look upon the same. I knew I might feel different. I hoped maybe a simple six-mile run might return my beloved Bend to the same place it existed before Monday. It didn't.
I finished. And felt the same way I started...so much can change in one careless instance. What would I have been doing different each and every time I was where Cameron was? The simple answer is - nothing.
As each car ran passed, I found myself meeting each with a feeling of combativeness. And almost every one did the right thing.. Giving me space, moving over when possible. Everyone. And yet one car changed so much. And one person.
Chris Frank