I stopped my watch and looked up the road toward the caboose. I couldn’t see it. \u00a0I can wait\u00a0for 3 more minutes I thought to myself. Another runner came up the path and I jokingly said, “you could just jump through…”. He turned around and went the other way. I waited…1 more minute.<\/p>\n
I peeled off my shirt and tied it around my waist thinking: I don’t want to run around the Esplanade. I came over here to run the flats – alone. What if the train starts to move? What is risk anyway? I worked with a guy in Virginia whose brother used to ride the rails, he was trying to get to Alaska. His brother had trouble with the law and drugs.<\/p>\n
When I graduated from high school and left Georgia for D.C. I rode the train from Atlanta to\u00a0Union Station. Woodie Guthrie to the Delta Blues – music travels on the rails. I left the\u00a0Shuffle\u00a0on my desk today . I wanted to drop the hammer and it takes focus. Music is a distraction – sometimes that’s a good thing. Not today. I wanted to feel it.<\/p>\n
10 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1<\/p>\n
I climbed up a 3 step ladder at a refrigeration car, ducked my head under the motor, jumped down the other side, started my watch and spun the engine back up.<\/p>\n