In case you've been living under a rock, this man is Ahmaud Arbery. While on a jog in a small Georgia county, he was profiled then chased by two men, an ex-cop and his son, on suspicion he was involved in a string of robberies. He died that day when they confronted and fatally shot him with a shotgun.
Like many of others, I’m aware of the widespread injustices in the world. It’s not in me to shout from the rooftops, there’s plenty of people who will do that and rightfully so. I do my best to be a decent human and let my actions speak for me. But there’s something about this Ahmaud Arbery case that hits closer to home than I’d like to admit.
Fitness can get real repetitive, real quick. I take days, sometimes weeks, off like everybody else, but eventually I gotta get back on it to keep the demons at bay, and maintain my livelihood. For that reason, I’m a big believer in finding ways to keep it fresh.
I travel a lot, for work and for fun, so I’m in different environments often. Sometimes those places are welcoming, and sometimes, not so much. I do my best to understand what the social climate is like but I hold myself to standard that doesn't allow me to deter from doing what I have to do. There are people in prison for violent crimes and many of their liberties have been taken away, some for life. But one thing they are allowed to do is exercise and stay active basically anywhere, anytime- maintaining your health is not and should never be a privilege.
In late March of this year, I had a gun waived at myself and my younger brother by a caucasian man while on the road. To this day I am still not sure why, but the way I see it this could have been me in place of Ahmaud. I do not know Ahmaud personally, so I cannot speak on his character, but I think it is safe to say he did not deserve what happened to him- no one does. And my heart goes out to his family and those close to him. Law enforcement requiring 2 months, 3 district attorneys, and public outcry before action being taken is the epitome of adding insult to injury... I simply couldn’t begin to imagine. As with all injustices, this serves as good reminder for me, and others, that this shit still goes on, even when the sun is shining and the roses are blossoming. I do admit, there has never been a better time to be alive, or black for that matter, but it doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. Believe me, there’s a lot.
I am in the middle of dealing with an inadvertent stress fracture, so I was not able to participate in #RunForAhmaud. But I took a moment of silence to pay my respect to Ahmaud and those who did participate the 2.23 miles in honor of him. Rest in paradise. Mr. Arbery, I hope your death does not go in vain. Thank all those who understand the inherent silliness and danger in prejudicial thinking and those who continue the trend of spreading positive ideas. There's more of us out there, never forget that.
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