In the Park

So, because the weather is lovely, I decided the other day to go for a run in the actual park, instead of in the gym, on the track or on a treadmill.

I'm plodding along, realizing that cement is probably not great for my gimpy hip, enjoying nature, listening to my iPod, and watching all the other people doing the same thing. Up ahead of me is a nice, slightly pear-shaped, older mom-looking type, also plodding along. Since I'm doing a walk/run training program, we keep passing each other.

At one point, she jogs past me as I'm walking, and she says something. I pull a headphone out of my ear and ask her to repeat it: "Are you a lawyer?" I reply in the negative, and smile, and she jogs on.

I'm completely mystified by this. Is there something about my running style that says "lawyer"? Do only lawyers jog in the park in the middle of a weekday? Did I accidentally flash some secret lawyer hand sign or something? She was behind me...do I have a lawyer butt? What IS a lawyer butt? And then it hits me.

I'm wearing DR's MC5 t-shirt. Back in the late 60s, their shows were almost like counterculture rallies--they were often introduced with, "Brothers and sisters, brothers and sisters, I present a TRUE TESTIMONIAL! Are you ready to TESTIFY?!?" (And then the MC5 would kick out the jams, motherfuckers!!! But I digress.)

So, the front of the shirt says "MC5: A True Testimonial," and the back says "Are You Ready to Testify?"

Mystery solved! so I jogged up to her and said, between gasps for breath, "It's not a courtroom testify--it's more like a gospel 'glory hallelujah' testify!" complete with me shaking my hands in the air. "But in a rock-and-roll way!" I added, after she gave me an "uh-oh, I've provoked some crazy god-bothering religious nut" look. She smiled in an "OK crazy person!" way, and I gave up and jogged on.

Great. She's the one who brought it up!! And I'M the one who looks like a nut in the park. I better watch out for squirrels.

Oh--and just so you know what I'm talking about: