text: The Woods Are Lovely Dark and Deep - But Don’t Go Into Them by April Knight A large sign was posted at the entrance to the Pioneer Nature Trail reading “CAUTION! Enter woods at your own risk. Not responsible for accidents, injuries or death.” Lavender wasn’t concerned about the warning. She was wearing a new purple jogging suit and had new sneakers with purple laces. She had a fanny pack with a bottle of water, a granola bar, her car keys and her driver’s license. She was stretching and running in place to prepare herself for the Silver Sneakers 5K cross country run. She had gained ten pounds over the winter and decided being a volunteer partner for one of the seniors in the race would be a good start to getting back into shape. Most of the seniors were sixty or over and the volunteers to be their partners were in their twenties and thirties. The volunteers were not competing in the race, they were only there for moral support and to carry water bottles and to provide help if any of the seniors were injured or too tired to finish the race. Lavender noticed a nice looking man wearing a T-shirt with a computer logo on it, he definitely looked like a computer nerd but he did have beautiful blue eyes. His name tag said Joe. The cross country race was through rugged, forest land, there were no paths to follow, just yellow flags placed to mark the course. There were bushes, fallen trees, two shallow creeks to cross and the finish line was at the top of a steep hill. It would have been challenging for a Marine. The seniors and the volunteers were paired off by the numbers on their name tags. Lavender’s running partner was a small, thin woman with snow white hair who was wearing a pink shirt that said “Cancer Survivor.” “My name is June,” the woman said, “I hope you can keep up with me.” “I’ll do my best. Good Luck,” Lavender smiled and admired June’s courage for entering the race and hoped June could at least make the first mile, the seniors got credit for each mile they completed even if they didn’t cross the finish line. There were fifty volunteer and fifty seniors standing at the starting line, Lavender saw Joe standing next to a thin man with white hair. He smiled at her and she gave him a smile and a “thumbs up.” The horn went off and one hundred people headed into the dense, overgrown forest. June took off running like a rabbit and jumped over a log. Lavender didn’t think she could jump over the log and climbed over it. Lavender lost seconds and June was leaping over bushes. Lavender put her head down and ran as fast as she could and didn’t see a low hanging limb until it slapped her in the face. She ran through a small stream getting her new sneakers muddy and her purple shoe laces were now soaking wet. She ran as fast as she could after June but the pink T-shirt had disappeared into the crowd of runners. Lavender ran a little farther but she was gasping for breath and her side hurt. There was no way she could catch June. She held her side and walked a little farther and found Joe sitting on a log drinking his bottle of water. “I lost my partner,” Lavender puffed. “I can’t believe it, she was jumping through the woods like a deer. I couldn’t keep up.” “Don’t feel bad. I was partners with a seventy-year old accountant. I couldn’t keep up with him. I’m embarrassed, I feel like my manhood is threatened. By the way, you have a beautiful name.” he read her name tag. “It suits you.” “Thank you,” she said, feeling a little better. “My partner was a sixty year old cancer survivor, she left me in the dust.” “Seniors aren’t what they used to be. My grandmother knitted, baked and spent most of her time in her recliner watching TV. In my wildest dreams I can’t picture her leaping through the woods,” Joe said. “I guess things have changed,” Lavender laughed. “I didn’t know I was so out of shape,” Joe said. “I spend about twelve hours a day sitting at a computer, I eat junk food and I joined a gym and went one time.” “I bought a treadmill and used it for a week. Now I hang my laundry on it,” she laughed. “I’ve got to lose some weight and get in shape or I’ll never make it to seventy,” he said. “Me too. This was definitely a wake up call,” she said. “Shall we do the walk of shame back to the starting line?” he asked. “I wonder if there will be any other volunteers laying the path,” she sighed and stood up. “I’m sure there will be, we can’t be the only two people who couldn’t keep up,” he said. Joe was right. There four volunteers sitting at the starting line looking tired and embarrassed. “Are you going to volunteer again?” she asked. “Well, I might volunteer but not for a race, or any athletic event, or anything that threatens my manhood and causes me to lose face. I would be willing to write a check and make a donation,” he said. “How about you?” “No, I’m done. That was a wake up call for me. Those seniors are too tough for me,” she admitted. “I’m going to start walking in the park for an hour every day. As soon as I get off work, I’m going straight to the park.” “If you’d like some company, I’d be honored to join you,” Joe said. She looked at his blue eyes and his smile. “That would be nice, it’s easier to train if you have a partner to motivate you,” she said “I’ll be at the front gate at 5:15 tomorrow afternoon.” The next day Joe met Lavender at the park and they started their walk. When she saw him her heart started beating faster. “By the way, your partner, June, came in second, yesterday and my partner came in seventh,” he laughed. “Good for them,” she said. “I’m glad you showed up today. I’d have been disappointed if you hadn’t come.” “I’d walk a thousand miles to spend time with you and get to know you better,” Joe said. “A thousand miles?” she smiled. “One mile at a time,” he said. End