I went out running the other night. I'd left it too late and it was dark already. Not just darkish, but freezing cold, icy black dark, with tiny stars peeping through the wispy fog hovering above the trees. I wished I'd worn a hat.I started running up the hill and did a bit of a skid on a patch of ice. Shit, I thought. Turning round and going home was not an option, I'd been waiting all day for this run. So I jogged on slowly instead - taking small, careful granny steps - treading on piles of old crunchy leaves whenever I could, to reduce the chances of slipping.
I love running in the dark. Gardens are spooky and all is quiet. People sit in their brightly-lit lounges with the curtains wide open, scratching themselves and feeding their faces, watching TV and not caring that I can look in and see them as clearly as if they were on TV themselves.
I run slowly past, invisible, breathing in icy gulps of air, glad that I'm outside and they're not.
Just be careful you don't break your neck!! It is very icy out there.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about those curtains. I am constantly nagging the men in this house to shut the curtains when they turn on the light. Do men like to live in goldfish bowls? What is it with them? Grr! (Rant on your blog which I just hijacked now over. Sorry.)
I'm around intermittently at the moment but posting on Cath's Cradle when I do post. Pop in when you can.
I look inside people's living rooms when I walk the dog in the evenings. I always think everything looks very cozy, even when I walk by my own place, but that is where I get to go inside.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoy the running at night but be careful of the ice underfoot and are you safe from "nasty people"? We have had some female runners get attacked.
ReplyDeleteI also love to look into other people's brightly lit homes. most people leave their curtains open! I like to shut mine!
Your post was brilliant ....... made me shiver!
You set the atmosphere in this post really well. We have neighbours who sit with their curtains open - weirdo's! He's a desperate attention seeker who really gets on our nerves so we shut our blinds and remove his presence from our world.
ReplyDeleteOooh, gonna shut the curtains now!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love looking in at other people's Christmas trees and decorations - especially in wealthy areas like Notting Hill where they are all terribly designer!
ReplyDeleteNice description. But it feels a bit creepy to run outside by myself at night. You're brave!
ReplyDeleteTake some Mace or self defence lessons.
ReplyDeleteHi GBS!,
ReplyDeleteIt must be very therapeutic running in the dark, however you should take a baseball bat along with you so that if you meet any "undesirables" you can just wack them around the head, or preferably in the balls! hahaha
I always keep my curtains and blinds closed as soon as it starts getting dark... the nightly ritual. I hate the thought of anyone looking in when I can't see anything outside, and our house is in quite a secluded neighbourhood... middle of nowhere is more appropriate! can be spooky! and I avoid watching any scary films when it's dark! haha x
Gosh, you are brave going out running in the cold and dark. I would not dare. There are not many windows to look through around here and there are no pavements or street lights.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
You gotta get those gripp-ee things that go on the bottom of running shoes .. like traction thingies for auto wheels
ReplyDeleteI was mentally running... okay, I was walking with you
:-Daryl
Your back! I didn't realize you were back until just a second ago.. Welcome back!!
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