Ninety-nine percent of the time, while I run, I listen to either podcasts or audiobooks. My runs generally last one hour, so for those 60 minutes, I am a captive audience. I can thoroughly engross myself in listening and develop a deeper understanding of what’s being discussed.
However, when Dec. 1 arrives, things change. On that date, I uploaded a holiday playlist to my Apple Watch and listened to seasonal fare while out for my runs.
I’m a sucker for a good Christmas song, so my playlist has an abundance of hits spanning generations. I’ve got the prerequisite oldies with Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin. I’ve got the classic 70’s fare with Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and the Eagles. And I’ve got more modern selections like those from Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, and Meghan Trainor.
I’ve found that once everyone has their Christmas lights up, the combination of the visuals and the music allows for spirited exercise, making the activity slightly more bearable.
About halfway through one of these holiday excursions this past Saturday, I noticed a slightly dilapidated envelope in the middle of a crosswalk. Usually, I don’t pay attention to garbage while running, but this piece caught my eye.
As I passed over the top of it, I glanced down and noticed that it appeared to be one of those photograph envelopes you get when you order online prints. It was also thicker than your average empty envelope, which triggered me to think that it was quite possibly full of photos.
I kept running, but my mind started to wander: What if those were photos of children that someone planned to send out in a Christmas card to a grandmother? Or they were pictures of a new car that a husband planned to give to his wife. Or perhaps they were shots of a holiday party that an employee was going to post in the office break room?
I didn’t think much more about it once my run ended, but the following day, as I repeated the same route, I noticed the envelope still lying on the road. This time, however, I didn’t pass by. I looked more precisely as I approached the envelope and confirmed that it appeared thick, suggesting it was indeed full of something.
I bent over and picked it up, further confirming that it was definitely a photo package (from Walmart’s online digital print lab). However, the envelope was quite distressed. It looked like it had been run over 100 times, which wouldn’t be surprising given its location in the middle of the road.
Because of the envelope’s condition, the seal on the end had broken open. My curiosity got the better of me, so I flipped back the fold and looked inside. Sure enough, there was an inner envelope containing several prints. I took a deep breath, scanned the area around me as if I might be under surveillance, and then began to rifle through the prints.
While a part of me may have been disappointed that it wasn’t a local housewife perched in an “interesting” position with a Santa hat on, my heart was warmed when the contents revealed someone’s adorable baby girl laughing with glee. The baby had a red bow in her hair and was wearing a velvet maroon dress adorned with white frills. To say the images were heart-warming would be an understatement.
After reviewing the prints, I looked back at the front of the envelope and was just able to make out the address, which didn’t appear familiar to me. Once I got home, I plugged the details into my phone and zeroed in on the location, which wasn’t too far from where I found the envelope on the ground.
Later that day, I drove over to the location and tucked the envelope into the corresponding mailbox with a note stating, “Found this in the road while running. Happy holidays.” I then drove away, hoping my gesture brought a little light into someone’s holiday.
This week’s feature, “Wicked,” starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has brought a lot of light into the holiday box office. The book and Broadway musical turned cinematic phenomenon is inching toward $600 million in global sales, putting it only behind “Mama Mia” as the most successful film musical in history.
I went into this one unfamiliar with the original book and show. While I found the production values to be an absolute spectacle to behold, I was slow to warm up to the music. Admittedly, Grande and Erivo were fantastic leads, which added to the allure of the story. My biggest criticisms, however, were reserved for the indiscretions made toward the original “Wizard of Oz” film (which holds a special place in my heart).
If you’re in the mood for something big, bold, and breathtaking, definitely give this film a try. Fans of the previous incarnations won’t be disappointed, nor will the uninitiated. An enchanting “B” for “Wicked” is now in theaters everywhere.
Got a question or comment for Dom? You can email him at [email protected].
