Amazing Race

The Amazing Race, does it ring a bell? It may if we are contemporaries, and if we are not it probably won’t make a lick of sense though hopefully by the end of this, you will find some appreciation for it. For me, the only thing that rings is a loud laugh from deep within at a younger version of me. As a proper 90’s baby, I grew up anticipating new, weekly episodes, of prerecorded humans fighting for the top spot in a reality show that brought the family together, no matter what the events of the day held. There are a few reasons this flashback makes me laugh. The first is one that I have never confessed to because I too was in a race, that I am only now figuring out has not yet come to an end. This simple fact ties into the remaining couple of reasons I find this comedic, which may paint me as a complete kook, a very self-aware being, or something entirely neither.

Whether the real reason is that my hearing is slightly impaired, or my mind moves faster than sound itself, is beside me. All I know is from about the age of six to nine years old when Wednesday rolled around, and Mom or Dad yelled out, “Amazing Race! Hurry,” I heard clear as day, time and time again, “Amazin’ Grace! Don’t miss it!” I never understood the show because of this. Instead of watching it for what it was, from the floor of the living room, I would lie analyzing every word, action, and situation for the remaining competitors. Flat on my back with my knees up and elbows tucked behind my head, I would silently wait for the moment someone did something heathenish and needed God’s saving grace to remain in the race. After all, why would they title a show as such?

This simple misunderstanding of the show’s title and concept has made me realize, as time goes on, that I am not much different than that little me. I still often mishear many words, almost as much as I misspell them, and because of this, see things from an entirely different lens than intended. I would not say this is a right or wrong viewpoint, as one can only attempt to understand the speaker and never truly know precisely what definition they imply. However, it can be challenging when communicating with others because if one has to explain the meaning behind their words, the subject as a whole loses its potency. Just as I would watch the Amazing Race show waiting for the opportune moment to play God and judge people on their flaws, miscommunication has falsely put me in a place to interrupt or tune people out, without even realizing it. This realization brought forth the real race I am running. That is the race to remain aligned in mind, body, and spirit and this goes far beyond the obstacle of simple conversation.

How could such a memory spur this reflection at its depth? Well, as I sat observing from a twenty-year distance, the little me at the starting point of core memories, was anxious and lying in a state of anticipation of the future. I see now, the one major difference in these versions of self, and that is the awareness of my fear. In truth, it is so much more than misunderstanding a speaker or poor communication with another. When all the surface-level layers are peeled back I see the reality that I lived in as a child was one that constantly put me ahead, or so I thought. Due to certain life situations at a young age, I was never able to fully be in the moment. I suppose this is what they call growing up too fast. Because of this, whether watching television, playing with the neighbors, or walking through a grocery store, I was always on high alert. Analyzing the most minute detail that others would have seen or heard as simple norms. Now, I consider myself well-equipped and in a position to use sound discernment because of this acute awareness. However, there is always a flipside, and now too, I must consciously choose to quiet my wandering mind to allow sounds and sights to flow in and out, naturally and integrally. Like a runner who finally understands their own pace and stride, I finally see my own. 

This is why I laugh. I laugh both at the simpleness and complexness of the human mind and perhaps other creatures, though I can only speak from the species I am. Simple in the sense that we can spend our whole life operating under one condition, or set of, and call life complete by the time we die. Complex in the way we could never do such a thing because the mind thinks on average 60,000 thoughts a day, and a good portion of those are spent critiquing, analyzing, and solving either real or hypothetical scenarios. In a way, we are all part of an amazing race, where the only opponents are the many versions of ourselves and time itself. To me, this is an exciting notion because I know my strengths and weaknesses better than any other on this Earth, and therefore am in a prime position to come out on top. 

At this point in the night, my neighbors are probably hearing and interpreting my one-sided laugh as lunatic, and that too, is why I laugh. Oh, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! In addition to the hindsight and foresight capabilities of the time-traveling mind, the sound of freedom rings loud tonight. In recognizing the gift of free will, to choose to remain as is, or shift trajectory I feel this utmost appreciation of grace. Who would have known this would have been presented by a CBS show that first aired in 2001? Though I see many differences in how I operate these days, by the end of this reflection I see no difference between Amazing Race and Amazin’ Grace. Both are seemingly outdated, often misunderstood, and somehow manage to bring families together no matter what the events of the day hold. In other words, this laughter restores my stamina and motivates me to finish my course, in hopes that I leave a testimony of faith in the miraculous synchronicities that cannot be coincidental. For after all, ‘twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; ‘tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.