Keep running

我從來就不是村上春樹的信徒，
他的成名作《1973年的彈珠玩具》前前後後我大概讀了不下五次，
不是太精采需要反覆閱讀，
實則相反 ─ 摸不著頭緒我啃得好辛苦，最後仍是放棄沒看完。
偶然在網上看到他的自傳式散文《關於跑步，我說的其實是……》書摘，
寥寥幾句，不知道為什麼莫名打動我。




費了一番功夫在圖書館找到英譯版：
What I talk about when I talk about running 
Haruki Murakami (2007)
用字淺白，讀起來不費力氣，還有種冷調的幽默，
花了幾個睡前的夜晚，竟然也翻完了。

書中記錄了村上長達25年不間斷長跑的心得，平行穿插身為專業小說家的寫作經驗，
關於跑步，村上到底想說的是什麼呢？
我想，
不論人生抱持著什麼樣的信念，儘管孤寂，一路跑下去便是了。

別誤會這是本勵志讀物，我想那絕不是村上的本意，
應該比較接近中年大叔叨叨絮絮的自言自語。
所謂「社會成功人士」出版的勵志書籍總讓我很感冒，
還很小人之心覺得那都是營造出來的假象，不然就是勝負未定，
非常不受教啊！

但是讀完這本書，
老實說，我很受到激勵，
恨不得立刻拿出跑步鞋也出去跑個三五圈 (那幹嘛不這麼做？)
對自己的人生困境也有了新啟發，
如果非要用一句話濃縮整本精華，我希望下面這句話會一輩子跟著我：
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

事實上，我把喜歡的書摘打滿六頁紙仍不滿足，這本書絕對值得一讀再讀，
本來決定要買書收藏，後來在網上找到試閱版(if you know what I mean)便作罷。

ps.中文版我請小華幫我買了，而英譯版價錢是台灣的三四倍，台灣真是購書天堂！

只摘出幾段我特別喜歡的部份： 
It might be a little silly for some¬one get¬ting to be my age to put this into words, but I just want to make sure I get the facts down clearly: I’m the kind of person who likes to be himself. To put a finer point on it, I am the type of person who doesn’t find it painful to be alone. I find spending an hour or two every day running alone, not speaking to anyone, as well as four or five hours alone at my desk, to be neither difficult nor boring. I’ve had this tendency ever since I was young, when given a choice, I much preferred reading books on my own or concentrating on listening to music over being with someone else. I could always think of things to do by myself (p.15).

For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor. Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level I elevate myself…The point if whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be (p.10).

The most important we ever learn at school is the fact that the most important things can’t be learned at school (p.45).

As I’ve grown older, I’ve naturally come to terms with this. You open the fridge and can make a nice – actually even a pretty smart – meal with the leftovers. All that’s left is an apple, an onion, cheese, and eggs, but you don’t complain. You make do with what you have. As you age you learn even to be happy with what you have. That’s one of the few good points of growing older (p.88).

I just run. I run in a void. Or maybe I should put it the other way: I run in order to acquire a void (p.17).

For a runner like me, what's really important is reaching the goal I set myself, under my own power. I give it everything I have, endure what needs enduring, and am able, in my own way, to be satisfied.

Running every day is kind of lifeline for me, so I’m not going to lay off or quit just because I’m busy. If I used being busy as an excuse not to run, I’d never run again. I have only a few reasons to keep on running, and a truckload of them to quit. All I can do is keep those few reasons nicely polished.