;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=b56a5ef5537c7ec8fa3951919368ca6deff5b8fe710ddbe9961f27ca733dc95b "There is only one remedy for mental pain: run!")
Column: That’s how it works!: There is only one remedy for mental pain: run!
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There is no genetic engineering in the plant
But don’t worry: they’re genetically modified
Our columnist just can’t look away. When people aren’t doing well, he picks it up unfiltered and tries to help. It doesn’t matter whether they are relatives or friends, or even complete strangers. Of course, running always plays a central role.
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When life just rushes by, when we are in the midst of life, enjoying it and everything is running, we sometimes lose sight of what is important. At least that’s how I feel. I’m so busy trying to get my things in order, getting everything under one roof, that – and I don’t really like myself for it – important things just “slip through”. I overlook things that are important to me. This includes, among other things, that I have the following claim for myself: Don’t lose sight of people who are not doing well. When you went through one or the other phase, others were there for you, don’t forget to always give something back.
Every home has its story
By coincidence, I have been driven into strange apartments and houses in the last few days. I accompanied a real estate agent on her job, and of course that led me to one or the other property. Especially houses that are to be sold have a certain attraction for me. Not because I want to buy a property, but because houses – especially old houses – usually tell one or more stories.
And the reasons why these are lost are usually exciting. However, it is also very sad at times. And these stories interest me because they often show me in situations in which I struggle with life how insignificant and small my worries really are. Being with the agent grounded me in a way.
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From overweight chain smoker to marathon runner – a success story
What the garden revealed…
So we ran from object to object, from one story to the next. The broker took her job wonderfully seriously: the background to the intention to sell remained taboo. But the fact was: every property had a very large portion of life in it. Arrived at the last house, my energy was already quite drained. I had seen the apartment of an old lady who was now moving in with her children. She said so herself. And I could tell how sad she was about it. Because that meant she had to give up her independence.
I had seen a house from the 1970s that reminded me infinitely of my childhood. I grew up in a very similar house, and I suddenly felt like a little boy again. Images came to me that had long since faded. Deep in thought, we came to the last object. A beautiful home on the water.
Even from the outside, a single word came to mind: Love! Love had really been invested here. There was love in here, the garden alone revealed: Every plant had to have its own story here. From the one who planted them and from the one who tended them.
Short biography of Mike Kleiß
Mike Kleiß has been doing sports since he was a child. “Those who exercise achieve more” is his motto in life. Running was always his favorite topic. For seven years he has been running between 15 and 20 kilometers almost every day, often in marathons and sometimes in ultra marathons. So far, our columnist has published two books on running. He is the founder and managing director of the communications agency GOODWILLRUN. Mike Kleiss lives with his family in Hamburg and Cologne. He writes about running here every Thursday.
the end of love
The love continued in the house itself, and yet it quickly became clear: the love also ended here. What was created here would not be able to continue like this. A life and love dream had been destroyed. From the conversations I had, it became clear: so much love could be seen from outside and inside, so much tragedy and sadness wafted in the air. The positive energy of the house could still be felt, but there was a kind of emotional fog in the air.
There were shoes under the stairs leading up. Especially sports shoes. Cool Chucks, Vans, but also soccer shoes. So sport and exercise had to play a major role here, in any case they had to play a role. Because there was one detail I couldn’t overlook: there were a lot of new running shoes that hadn’t been used yet. I imagined that someone might have intended to walk away from their heartache but didn’t have the energy to do so. And in the end the pain won out. That makes me sad.
How I would like…
Called out to this person in good time: Go run! Take the rest of your energy and get out there. Get a clear head. Leave your worries behind on the asphalt, in the forest, or by the river. Leave your worries behind. Every kilometer brings you less ballast. Every meter more gives you more clarity. Good for you. Good for love, and maybe it still has a chance.
What made me particularly sad: I couldn’t help anymore. Because the decision had been made: there was no salvation, not for this love. Maybe a love for running, maybe to deal with the pain. That’s how it works.
Read all of Mike Kleiß’s columns here.