Short story: Stagnation

Stagnation (Copyright Kris Rodgers)

It’s cold.

It’s wet.

It’s dark.

I’ve been stuck up in this tree for over an hour now. The beers in my backpack have been my only comfort for this duration.

I shouldn’t have done that. The beer has heightened my emotions, and now I’m sincerely scared. Am I the only one left? Are they coming for me? Where are they?

Down below, in the park, I know that they are there. Hunting me.

It’s irrelevant that they are hunting me with fake plastic guns. I am still scared.

Eventually, the headset makes a loud ‘DDTDTDTDTDTDTDT’ noise.

I have been hit.

I am dead.

Steve got me. I can tell. I can hear him laughing, and shouting ‘I GOT HIM!’ to the rest of his team.

We used to play this game often. It’s called lock-on, and consists of two teams with virtual laser guns, and headsets. Lame I know. Most of our battles took place in the crazy six months that preceded the millennium celebrations.

We like to think that the millennium evening went on for six months.

So we used to do strange things like running after each other with fake guns. Actually, our games were quite intense and violent. The scuffles and panic that resulted when you were to close to shoot someone always ended up with someone hurting on the floor.

The price of war.

About this time, we were also training in the martial arts quite fanatically. As well as this, we used to go on massive bike rides, late at night, into the wilderness. Again, someone would normally end up hurt, due to the consumption of way too much beer etc on the journey, and no lights. A lot of us used to do these silly things as well. Our youthfulness (in our mid twenties) was quite addictive, and we gained more and more people looking for a fun time. Yeah, going down the pub is fine. It can be a laugh. And yeah, sitting in watching videos etc can be a laugh, but I have never laughed as much as I did when we did these other things together. But what worries me most, is the way that our group morale got down as soon as we started slowing down these pursuits. Instead of going out, we started staying in, playing on the play station, and watching movies. More arguments occurred, and people did seem to become genuinely unhappy.

Now, I have a theory on this. Stick with me, because it’s an interesting one. Shout at me if you disagree. I’m open to all interpretations.

When we were being active, and exercising, we were happy. We were using our bodies in the way that whatever intended. We were fit, healthy, and happy. The endorphins rushed around our bodies, making us on constant highs. When we stopped, we got low. Now, apparently, something like fourty per cent of our country is depressed. Do you wonder why? We sit in front of our televisions, eating crap food, and doing nothing with our bodies and minds.

Picture in your mind, a still clear pool of water. Now, if you were to put your hand in that water, and swish it about a little, it would stay vibrant. If the water keeps moving, its stays oxygenated, and has no time to stagnate. But if the water is left, then it will become unclear, listless, and stagnant. This is a great analogy of our own bodies. We have to keep exercising and moving, or we will become depressed and stagnant.

Remember, apathy is a killer.

And in addition to this, to me, the best type of exercise seems to be anything that stimulates the cardiovascular system. Exercises such as bike riding, running, martial arts, swimming etc. The other great thing about exercise is that it takes your mind off your mind. You don’t tend to have much time to think when you are being active. This is another factor in why an active body serves as a great remedy to depression.

Prozac generation? I don’t think so. Get up and move.