My favorite time for reflection is while I'm running. Hear me out.
Think of that moment in movies where the character is looking out of the window of the car while it's moving. There is always some kind of sentimental music playing in the background. The character might even have flashbacks. Point is, you know they're reflecting on their life in that moment as they are driving past something or even just staring out the window after something just happened in their life. You know that because even you are reflecting on their life and maybe even yours.
This is part of why my favorite movies are sad and tragic ones: the music is phenomenal and my writer brain lives for these moments the characters have that drives me toward reflection. My writing playlist is filled with many songs from movies or shows that have these moments.
Running is my driving-in-the-car-and-staring-out-the-window time of reflection. So it should come as no surprise when I tell you that some of my best writing ideas have come to me during a run.
Yesterday, I went out for another run, and this time I ran past my alma mater. As soon as I hit the pavement around the school, the flashbacks began. I remembered sitting in my mom's car with my best friend and she drove over the college field that had been turned into a temporary parking lot on graduation day. I remember looking at my best friend's face next to me, the highlight on her face "poppin'" after all the hard work we put in on our make-up, and asked her if she was ready.
There were so many people, and we followed the masses of people walking from their cars up to the field house. I remember my mom trying to snap pictures while I was anxious about our timing. As we began following the students, there was a feeling of incredible nervousness but also a sense of pride, as many feel on graduation day.
I ran past the field where we parked and came closer to the buildings where we studied, to the chapel where we devoted time to building interfaith relationships, and thought back once again to graduation. When I first applied to my institution, I remember receiving mixed reactions from my community. Some were excited for me because I would be the first from our Muslim community to attend the school, while others were nervous for that exact reason and recommended I look elsewhere.
So that pride I felt on graduation day was also a feeling of excitement that I had done this for my parents. I did something to make them attend a school graduation that others did not. While many were worried I would not "fit in" as a Muslim, Allah sent one other Muslim student-who became my team member, partner-in-crime, and best friend-to make us create the best college experience for the both of us. Our fears about being the "only Muslims" were what made us stick together. I didn't need to fit in; I just needed to have the confidence to build my own sense of belonging.
I ran past the gym where I had worked out my stress so many times, where my partner-in-crime and I had worked out as the only hijabis at the school and definitely got a few (curious) looks before people grew accustomed to us. I ran past the building where we held countless Islamic Awareness Association meetings, past the auditorium where I performed my poetry for the first time in front of students my freshman year.
My point here is to show you that while many love to give you their opinion on what you should do, at the end of the day you should seek what you believe you are capable of doing. I believed I could survive college by going to the school that was less diverse because I sought a path that another place did not provide me. And Allah rewards for your efforts. He sends you the means and even the people who will be your tribe, your camp, your all-in support system. Trust that. Listen to your gut.
You never know, but a few decisions and lots of hardwork and resilience later, you could be running past a place that turns into your home and the last four years of your life play over and over like a movie. It might even become your favorite movie.
Think of that moment in movies where the character is looking out of the window of the car while it's moving. There is always some kind of sentimental music playing in the background. The character might even have flashbacks. Point is, you know they're reflecting on their life in that moment as they are driving past something or even just staring out the window after something just happened in their life. You know that because even you are reflecting on their life and maybe even yours.
This is part of why my favorite movies are sad and tragic ones: the music is phenomenal and my writer brain lives for these moments the characters have that drives me toward reflection. My writing playlist is filled with many songs from movies or shows that have these moments.
Running is my driving-in-the-car-and-staring-out-the-window time of reflection. So it should come as no surprise when I tell you that some of my best writing ideas have come to me during a run.
Yesterday, I went out for another run, and this time I ran past my alma mater. As soon as I hit the pavement around the school, the flashbacks began. I remembered sitting in my mom's car with my best friend and she drove over the college field that had been turned into a temporary parking lot on graduation day. I remember looking at my best friend's face next to me, the highlight on her face "poppin'" after all the hard work we put in on our make-up, and asked her if she was ready.
There were so many people, and we followed the masses of people walking from their cars up to the field house. I remember my mom trying to snap pictures while I was anxious about our timing. As we began following the students, there was a feeling of incredible nervousness but also a sense of pride, as many feel on graduation day.
I ran past the field where we parked and came closer to the buildings where we studied, to the chapel where we devoted time to building interfaith relationships, and thought back once again to graduation. When I first applied to my institution, I remember receiving mixed reactions from my community. Some were excited for me because I would be the first from our Muslim community to attend the school, while others were nervous for that exact reason and recommended I look elsewhere.
So that pride I felt on graduation day was also a feeling of excitement that I had done this for my parents. I did something to make them attend a school graduation that others did not. While many were worried I would not "fit in" as a Muslim, Allah sent one other Muslim student-who became my team member, partner-in-crime, and best friend-to make us create the best college experience for the both of us. Our fears about being the "only Muslims" were what made us stick together. I didn't need to fit in; I just needed to have the confidence to build my own sense of belonging.
I ran past the gym where I had worked out my stress so many times, where my partner-in-crime and I had worked out as the only hijabis at the school and definitely got a few (curious) looks before people grew accustomed to us. I ran past the building where we held countless Islamic Awareness Association meetings, past the auditorium where I performed my poetry for the first time in front of students my freshman year.
My point here is to show you that while many love to give you their opinion on what you should do, at the end of the day you should seek what you believe you are capable of doing. I believed I could survive college by going to the school that was less diverse because I sought a path that another place did not provide me. And Allah rewards for your efforts. He sends you the means and even the people who will be your tribe, your camp, your all-in support system. Trust that. Listen to your gut.
You never know, but a few decisions and lots of hardwork and resilience later, you could be running past a place that turns into your home and the last four years of your life play over and over like a movie. It might even become your favorite movie.
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