28                                    Running and Rhythm

There is a phenomenon known as "runner's high". It is a strong sense of well-being, a euphoria, that may come upon a runner after a few miles. It is believed to be partly a chemical condition developed in the brain, but also partly a condition brought on by the conspicuously steady rhythmic beat of the feet. And of course it may be both, i.e. a chemical condition brought on by the steady beat, and perhaps by the recurrent pleasure of the beat coming in with an exactly regular repeat.

        Rhythm contributes also to the charms of music, poetry, dancing and much else --- a universal crowd-pleaser. And regularity in space is just as widespread, in repetitive patterns in rows, as in ornamental railings, or in spreads as in wallpapers and carpets.

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