In "Once a Runner" -- which Spencer lent me, and I promptly bought in duplicate -- Quenton Cassidy drops out of life, moves to the wilderness, leaves his girl, and runs full time until he emerges heroic at the end to defeat John Walton in the mile race at Southeastern University. (I never thought until I wrote it out here just how Biblical that sounds!)
What if Quenton hadn't won that race? A plausible outcome was a very good mile, reflective of months of work and sacrifice, but that failed to establish Quenton as the U.S. favorite for the next Olympic games. What if he had put down a very respectable 3:58.
For how long should Quenton continue to pursue his dream once a wise person would realize the hopes of greatness are unrealistic? Does a 3:58 miler return to the woods in the hopes that he can next year run 3:57? Does he put off life because one day he may become a household name, even when the odds of that are vanishingly small?
When he realizes he is never going to be a world-class athlete, is he disappointed that he tried? Or even if he makes it -- was it worth it? What if by then the girl is gone and other realistic opportunities have disappeared?
I'm not a miler, and if I was I wouldn't be fast. But these are serious musings. I'd love to hear any thoughts.
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