‘Oh, it’s disgraceful, surely, I agree.’
‘Where’s it going to end?’ ‘It’s getting worse.’
‘They’re murderers.’ ‘Internment, understandably …’
The ‘voice of sanity’ is getting hoarse.

-Seamus Heaney

The world is crazy, and today the best person I can find to help make sense of it all is Patti LaBelle. This week I caught a clip of Patti performing in front of the White House in 1996. This is where she showed me that it is possible to keep on going even if I don’t exacly know what’s going on.There is a lot of beauty in the world. Beyond that, I feel profoundly unqualified to make any other sort of statement. But still, I do feel a deep sense of disarray on a fairly wide scale.

When I was in Israel, my buddy Drew told me about “Jerusalem Syndrome.” There are pilgrims who arrive in the Old City and are so overcome that they experience an extraordinary mental shift. While Drew explained this, I reflected on my visit to the Stations of the Cross. Our guide started by saying that we were standing in an area commonly referred to as “Stab Alley.” Yes, there had been a spate of such attacks as of late. For better or for worse, emotions always run high around here. And when I was leaving Israel, my taxi driver asked if I was surprised by what I saw on my visit. I was asked this again by a young man sitting next to me on the aircraft. I told them both that no, not really, I wasn’t surprised— but then again I wasn’t shown a complete story. All the same, I wanted to say that the thing I found most surprising was not the diversity of great food, drink, people and holy sites that I visited. It was, rather, an eye-catching non-mirage that I spied on my first morning:This is a willful shifting of the subject, but much like Patti LaBelle without her background singers, it’s the best that I can do in a difficult situation. The shark-looking yacht resting just on the horizon was impossible to ignore, and I was quite startled to see it when I looked up from my cup of coffee. So on the following morning, I carted myself down to the beach. I hadn’t exactly planned on doing this— especially since my body hasn’t been in top running form—but I laced up my running shoes anyway. The effect of waking up with an open window where your skin can just sense the water below—something about it all is magnetic. Call it the Sea Syndrome.  I had no choice but to respond.And down along the promenade, there was lots to take in, both towards the land and out to sea. My foggy mind was in no state to make any sort of political half-suppositions. My brain at the day’s start is only equipped to handle low-demand tasks like moving closer to a shiny dot in the distance.I have frequently written about the medicinal effect that running has— especially along the water. This year, planetary life both in and out of the headlines has been a taxing one. And despite the fact that my body is starting to complain, there remains no better way for me to smooth down some stray voltage than to go for a run.

While out on the Tel Aviv promenade, I passed Drew going in the opposite direction. He’s an ultra runner, who also appreciates a few nice things to gaze out at. After his run he shared with me some information on the scenes we both passed that morning. 
And as for my mini-goal that morning—I steadily got a bit closer to that yacht. It’s always so striking when you visit a place of beauty…

… and find juxtaposed reminders that the color palette is hardly half the story.

And at last there it was, an obscenely-expensive water craft, happily catching the sun as its rays hit the starboard side. I still call it the most surprising thing that I experienced on my trip to Israel because honestly, it’s the safest thing to talk about.

Maybe in my next life, things will be a bit different. I’ll be able to say more, feel less stressed, and maybe even explore a bit further into this extraordinary part of the world. For now, I’ll just focus on the fact that I got to experience a great sunrise and a peaceful run. In both respects, there is no requirement for me to say anything.