The "Why" Question

 

Ever notice that we use "Why" more often than any other word when asking a question?   We could use when, or who, or what but no….it’s more often Why.   I have a young grandson who has turned asking Why into an artform.   Every Why answer becomes the raw material for a new Why question.

 

Answering Why questions can be challenging.  Sometimes the answers are too painful to even express.  Sometimes the answer just leads to more questions.  And sometimes a question has no good answer.  I have a bunch of those for God when I meet him.

 

I often get the Why question about my running.   Normally the easiest answer is just turning it around and asking, “Why don’t you?”.   Unsatisfied with my non-answer, over time the question has become more qualified….”Why do you run so far?  Why do you run outside in this cold weather?  Why do you run at your age? “

 

I thought about it the other day (during a run of course) and came up with a lot of answers but these were the top 3:

-         I feel better after I run than before and I seldom feel as good on days I don’t run.  Throughout my life it has been a bell weather  for my health.

-         It is something I can do that allows me to help others through Help in the Nick of Time.

-         It creates shared experiences with my family.

So the short answer is running allows me to feel good, spend time with my family and help others.   Who can knock that?

 

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