What’s The Rush?

February 15, 2024

A funny black and white cartoon of Bryan getting ready to jog. Drawn by artist Bryan Skinnell.

Lately I’ve been trying to get myself to run. Lordy only knows why.

I don’t enjoy pain nor do I relish the miseries of inflicting even more misery on myself even if it’s in the name of good health. I’ve known lots of runners and most of them struck me as being pretty sensible and sane folks who, for reasons unknown, really do enjoy running and even look forward to it. I don’t really know why unless they have a secret masochistic streak in them. They claim it’s a pleasant way to get your exercise in and perhaps for them it is. But what’s good for me is a more leisurely and thoughtful pace in life. A life that’s permanently stuck in first gear. I’m not in any hurry so why run around as if I were? Leave the rat race for rats I say.

But seriously, I really am trying to get myself to run and trying is the operative word here because I’m just not very fast nor can I hold out for more than a mile or so. But wish me luck folks. Perhaps one day I will discover the secret to happy running, if there even is such a thing. I suppose even artists need to stay in shape too. And being able to run fast can be a mighty handy skill when the Huddle House opens up and they have their pancake special going.

Why hello there! My name is Bryan Skinnell and I am a middle-aged (50-ish) artist and neighborhood kook who is living the artistic and creative life out in the boonies of Bedford, Virginia. Bedford is one of the largest counties in the commonwealth of Virginia and, for the most part, it’s still a mostly rural one that bridges the gap between Roanoke and Lynchburg. You could say, in more ways than one, that Bedford is the heart of Virginia. I can’t argue with that although I usually think of Bedford more as Virginia’s belly button myself.

I grew up right here in Bedford and have lived and toiled most of my life on our infamous red clay. The sort of clay that makes the stickiest mud known to man after a rain and which clings like super glue from God to anything and everything it touches. If you are so foolish as to get it on yourself you’ll wind up tracking and leaving a trail of red goop everywhere you go for days afterwards to the delight of your family and friends. But I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else and Lord knows I tried as I’ve wandered from one end of the country to the other. But Bedford has my heart and that’s where I’ve chosen to live my life today. In my free time when I’m not stuck in my studio making art I do love being outside gardening or hiking or just pestering the neighbors.

Every day I try to write something that’s original, entertaining, and half-way thoughtful here on my blog while sharing my happy-go-lucky attitude and zest for life. Quite often I don’t have the foggiest notion of what I’ll end up saying in a post. But, whatever I end up writing about, I do hope you enjoy it!

I do keep a mailing list for interested readers and fans. If you would like to get in on the action and follow my musings and rabble-babble, that can be easily arranged. Just give me an email address that you would like for me to send my blog posts to and I’ll see that you get it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Bryan Skinnell