Columbia City, IN

Morsches Park Trails; Running Time 56:06 + 8:20 bonus time

This trail system turned out to be not ideal. There was the gnarled network of dirt trails, but they are mountain bike trails, so running is a hazard. I did see one mountain biker, but he was on an adjacent circuit, and we did not meet. There were also some paved trails, but the whole complex straddles an interstate, so there is the pollution factor.

I ran as far as I could north of the interstate, and then there was a gate, with a grassy old road running along a canal, so I just kept going. It turned out to be the Blue River, not a canal, and it is suspiciously straight. I ran mile or so out, then turned around. I took a nice photo of a cornfield at the turnaround spot.

I got back to the park, jumped onto one of the mountain bike trails, and I was winding my way through the forest when I checked my fitbelt to make sure I had my hotel room card key, which I did not. Had it fallen out when I took out my phone for a photo? Had I left it on the carseat? I checked where I took a photo of a fountain in the park. Then I ran back out to my river trail and checked where I took photos of the trail and the river – no card. Where else had I taken a photo? Oh, yes, at the cornfield turnaround point. So I ran all the way out there – no card. It was lost.

The cornfield turnaround was my furthest point away from the vehicle – hence the 8:20 bonus time on my run. Of course, they just gave me a new card at the front desk, though I first asked for room 207 when I was in 217. I checked my phone – I had taken a photo of the room number when I left. Memory is fallible. Photos are evidence.

When the Russians invaded Ukraine, it seemed to me that the outcry here in the U.S. was more pronounced than one might have expected. Maybe it was the media I see that accentuated it. I kept hearing references to it on various podcasts I subscribe to. Yes, it was a terrible thing. But was it more terrible than other acts of war that have happened in recent years? Was it that much worse?

I ask the questions because I genuinely do not know. Then I heard a podcast about how Ukrainian refugees were initially channeled through Tijuana to enter the U.S. I am not sure if this happened organically, or if it was orchestrated, but initially they could not enter the U.S. directly. The surprising part was that the U.S. set up a special, separate processing point just for these refugees, and the average processing time was one day. Now, there are Mexican citizens seeking asylum due to death threats from cartels who have been waiting to get in for more than a year. Somehow, when the European refugees needed in, we activated a peculiar urgency.

I do not begrudge the Ukrainians refugees the favoritism they were shown, but here is an idea: let’s make them all favorites. That’s our new favorite – everyone who needs help – a place to live and work and share their stories.