Sunday, January 9, 2011

Outrunning the Arrows

How profound can a car commercial really be?  I am watching the NFL playoff game between the Eagles and Packers and I just saw a car commercial which I've seen before.  Funny how you can watch a commercial and totally miss the brand which was being advertized.  In fact I don't really get the commercial at all, at least as it pertains to cars.  So it's a car commercial and it is set in a desert or dry lake bed and a car takes off while a group of archers shoot arrows in the same direction.  I guess the cool thing is supposed to be that the car is fast enough to outrun an arrow.  Like, hopefully it will never have to do that in real life, but it's nice to know there is a car that can outrun an arrow.

However, the commercial is deeper than that to me.  I was watching the car take off, and watching the arrows fly through the air in slow motion.  It symbolized my life.  It isn't really a car commercial, it's a commercial about the life of a tormented runner, or even a non-tormented runner.

Life is full of arrows.  The arrows might be injustices, the mistakes of others, jealousy and envy, obstacles, trials, tribulations, things that try to take you out before you can get out of range.  The car is ... me, or you.  The arrows are coming and you can stand there and get speared and pierced to death, or ... you can run.  You're not really running away from the arrows, you're just getting out of range, to a safe place where the arrows can't hurt you.

So how does this work?  This is how outrunning the arrows works in my life.  Running helps me cope, makes me stronger, helps me focus, provides goals, provides health, and keeps my life in a positive place.  So while the arrows are all around me:  searching for a job, on the waiting list for nursing school, assaults from a dark hearted person, transitions ... I am out of range, and therefore I cannot be harmed.  I have chosen not to stand in one place and get pelted.  I have chosen to keep moving and to do positive things, and be a good person.  I choose to outrun the arrows.

I love NFL playoff commercials.

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