All Alone Amongst Many People!
On Saturday night I was downtown Cleveland for the Winking Lizard “Shot In The Dark” 4-mile run and after party. The race began at 5:30pm. As usual, I arrived early at around 4:20pm. As a warm up I ran from my car to the start line, maybe a ½-mile. Though it was an hour before the race started, their was already lot of people already there.
I continued my warm up with my stretching routine and that’s when it started to bother me. AS I was observing the crowd during my stretches and began to realize “I’m all alone amongst many people.” Discouraged by that fact I went for another run.
Once everyone lined up for the official start of the race I was no longer alone, I was gathered with a thousand or so of my fellow runners. At the start of the race no one is a stranger. Everyone has something in common with the person next to him or her, running!
Once the race starts and you’re out running on the course again, you have something in common with the person you’re running next to. You both want to finish the race in the best possible time. During a race it’s like your part of a team, where everyone is encouraging each other, pushing each other to do their best. At this point I’m in my glory. I’m doing what I love, I’m in my comfort zone and I’m no longer alone.
Near the end, I race a couple people to the finish line. I pass one fellow runner but another edges me out. After we cross the finish line and on the way to the water table we talk briefly about the run and exchanged handshakes and congratulations. It was after that I was again alone, “Alone amongst many people!”
I continued running to my car, quick change of shirts and I was off to PARTY!
I got to the refreshment area, grabbed a sandwich and sat by myself to eat. Now the loneliness was really setting in.
My friend Jacquie and her husband also ran the race but, didn’t run into them at the start of the run and with the thousand gathered in a small area I figured my hopes of finding them were slim.
After walking alone from one end of the party area to the other I was about to head home when I spotted Jacquie and her husband. I stayed with them for a while but could tell her husband wanted to leave. I walked back to my car and headed home to go to bed at 8:30 on a Saturday night!
Most of my friends are married with children and it takes an act of congress to get them to come out for an evening so I normally do everything ALONE. However, being alone “Amongst Many People” really blows.
This is is different than being home alone or lonely. This is watching a group of people have a good time with friends and family while you sit on the ground and eat alone.
Some might ask, why I didn’t introduce myself to someone, start a conversation. I ask them, have you ever been alone, key word alone and walked up to a group of people whom you don’t know, interrupt their conversation and just said HI! Not that easy, at least not for me.
It's like the first day at a new school. You hope someone comes and talks to you, lets you join in on their fun. But, adults are diffrent than children. We're so preoccupied with our own lives, our own circle of friends that we let no one else in.
I challenge people out there, if you see someone sitting alone at a restaurant or bar talk with them you make make a new friend!
I share this story not so you feel sorry for me, because I really don’t need sympathy.
I share this story for someone/anyone who has found themselves “Alone amongst many people!” You’re not alone, I’ve been there myself, and I know it blows!
I continued my warm up with my stretching routine and that’s when it started to bother me. AS I was observing the crowd during my stretches and began to realize “I’m all alone amongst many people.” Discouraged by that fact I went for another run.
Once everyone lined up for the official start of the race I was no longer alone, I was gathered with a thousand or so of my fellow runners. At the start of the race no one is a stranger. Everyone has something in common with the person next to him or her, running!
Once the race starts and you’re out running on the course again, you have something in common with the person you’re running next to. You both want to finish the race in the best possible time. During a race it’s like your part of a team, where everyone is encouraging each other, pushing each other to do their best. At this point I’m in my glory. I’m doing what I love, I’m in my comfort zone and I’m no longer alone.
Near the end, I race a couple people to the finish line. I pass one fellow runner but another edges me out. After we cross the finish line and on the way to the water table we talk briefly about the run and exchanged handshakes and congratulations. It was after that I was again alone, “Alone amongst many people!”
I continued running to my car, quick change of shirts and I was off to PARTY!
I got to the refreshment area, grabbed a sandwich and sat by myself to eat. Now the loneliness was really setting in.
My friend Jacquie and her husband also ran the race but, didn’t run into them at the start of the run and with the thousand gathered in a small area I figured my hopes of finding them were slim.
After walking alone from one end of the party area to the other I was about to head home when I spotted Jacquie and her husband. I stayed with them for a while but could tell her husband wanted to leave. I walked back to my car and headed home to go to bed at 8:30 on a Saturday night!
Most of my friends are married with children and it takes an act of congress to get them to come out for an evening so I normally do everything ALONE. However, being alone “Amongst Many People” really blows.
This is is different than being home alone or lonely. This is watching a group of people have a good time with friends and family while you sit on the ground and eat alone.
Some might ask, why I didn’t introduce myself to someone, start a conversation. I ask them, have you ever been alone, key word alone and walked up to a group of people whom you don’t know, interrupt their conversation and just said HI! Not that easy, at least not for me.
It's like the first day at a new school. You hope someone comes and talks to you, lets you join in on their fun. But, adults are diffrent than children. We're so preoccupied with our own lives, our own circle of friends that we let no one else in.
I challenge people out there, if you see someone sitting alone at a restaurant or bar talk with them you make make a new friend!
I share this story not so you feel sorry for me, because I really don’t need sympathy.
I share this story for someone/anyone who has found themselves “Alone amongst many people!” You’re not alone, I’ve been there myself, and I know it blows!
posted by Gary Kuhn at
8:48 PM
2 Comments:
Next time, we bring our phones. How was it that we found each other right away at the race last year. I just took for granted that we'd see each other no problem. I was looking for you the entire time. By the end, when we were by the stage, I figured you might have just left (especially since you werent' waiting for me at the finish line). I was glad when I finally spotted you.
Last year I was waiting for you at the finish line but it seemed like you had several people you knew there. I remember you talking to a people I didn't know. Of course we ate together post race.
Anyway, this post makes me feel bad because you're such a good friend and I hate thinking of you being alone. I'm sorry.
On a positive note.... Congratulations on placing so high in your age group and overall!!!
(OUT OF 864, our Mr Kuhn was the 49th person to cross the finish. 5th in his age group!!!! Well done young man!!!)
You rock homeboy!!! And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Not just as a runner but as a genuine human being!
Hey Gary! Good job on your race, sounds like ya did great!
Yeah, yeah, don't you hate that all alone feeling? I'm sorry, bet if all those people knew just how fun you were they'd have been swarming you!
And from now on...you will be my motivation to talk to those that are wandering around looking for fun!
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