Best in Bosra

People often ask me, “Where is/was your favorite pace to run?” I am blessed to have many amazing miles under my feet at this point in my life. I truly enjoy jogging in a variety of places, from crossing creeks in city parks to running from Luxor to Karnack Temple along the Nile River. To name one stand out, though, it was a run that happened at the break of dawn in Bosra, Syria. The morning embodied the concept of peaceful. Rolling hills of farmland that had been cultivate since the beginning of recorded history surrounded me. Only the sound of my own breathing filled the air.

I had been running on old town roads and made an impulsive decision to turn off and run in the middle of a farm toward the rising sun. Not long after that, I heard a horse galloping behind me. I knew I had asked for trouble by running on private property in the Middle East. I turned only to see a young Arab boy, elementary aged I guessed, ride up beside me.

I’m sure the boy had no idea what to think of me. I had no idea what to say to him, not to mention I wasn’t sure if he would understand English. We smiled at each other and stayed in stride for a couple of miles. At that point I had to turn and go back, but he stayed with me. When I returned to the road he stopped his horse. I spun around and waved. He smiled and waved back. I doubt the boy remembers the stranger running on his family’s property. As for me, I’ll never forget the brief and beautiful moment in time the two of us enjoyed on that crisp summer morning.

May we all have many more miles.

Tom