It wasn't that it was unusual to see two young lovers kissing in the park, it was just unsual to see them perched on the awkward boulder that marked the "home stretch" of my run. It would have to be a very petite couple that could comfortably find a spot to neck and caress on that awkward spot, spray painted with graffitti tags and other people's statements of love. And, probably for that reason I couldn't help but stare.
They were two teenage girls, and when I realized that, I was proud of society for a brief moment in that a) the city allowed the space for these girls to be so open at such a young age and b) that these girls were so comfortable in their own skins at such a young age and c) that never would have happened when I was their age. The taller of the two girls was also the more butch, and the tinier girl looked like a prima ballerina, with one little afro puff sitting atop her head and decked in head to toe pink. And then they were behind me as I rounded the end of my first lap.
By the time I made my way around again, they were deep in conversation. Tall Girl was pointing something out very passionately to Ballerina. She was pointing to the view of the Empire State Building and, had she been a politician on a campaign trail, I would have thought she had made a grand pronouncement of her greatest campaign promise. Her petite companion seemed dubious and my ipod stopped for absolutely no reason in the midst of a Redman song.
The third lap is the hardest, mainly because the park just isn't that big and it feels tedious. But despite my desire for excercise, I can never manage to walk over to the larger park a mile away. The third lap is when I start counting dogs and wondering if this is worth it. Does anyone really care if I'm a little fatter? I decide that I actually care myself and that it's practically over. I look to the rock, but they aren't on there anymore. Instead they are on the lane a bit further down. If my music wasn't so loud, I'd assume they are screaming at each other. They are standing so that I will have no choice but to run between them and the ballerina is VERY annoyed. She is eye rolling. You can see her eye rolling from at least 100 feet away. It's very animated indifference. Tall Girl is pleading a case.
I'm now motivated. I will run faster so I can see how the discussion plays out. I will shut the music off as I approach the next time, I've decided. I will listen, even briefly, to this quarrell to remind myself of what young loves quarrell about since I'm sure it is at once more passionate and yet less important that what old loves quarrell about. Surely they aren't arguing about quitting a job, or prioritizing their love or having another child or not. And yet, they were so invested. I never had a chance to find out however, because Tall Girl met me way before I reached the home stretch. She was tear stained and face wiping and devastated and power walking. It all happened so fast! What could have happened??? It would be weird to console her, but I so wanted to stop and run and see what had happened and tell her she will meet someone else. Someone who didn't find her annoying or dismiss her passion with eye rolls. A few steps later, the Ballerina was on her way out of the park. She had plugged into her ipod and was texting away on her iphone. She was giggling at something she read, indifferent to Tall Girls heartbreak.
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