"These woods are lovely, dark, and deep..."
Alright, I've been bugged about updating, so here goes nothing...
It's pretty rare to have a completely free Saturday afternoon. Well, I take that back. There are always things I should be doing, but don't really want to. So instead of dealing with reality, I decided to visit a few of the parks in my neighborhood.
In the late afternoon it was around 50 degrees and lightly drizzling. Normally that would sound miserable and depressing for an outdoor activity, but somehow I found the weather refreshing. The air was crisp and clean, and every fiber in me felt alert. It was like the rain was washing away any stresses of the past week.
Most of these parks I'd played in at some point during my childhood. I had flashbacks of wonderful, carefree times as I strolled past the aviaries, secret gardens, gazebos, and jungle gyms. I imagined the parks springing with life; I could almost hear echoes of gleeful children's voices. I even saw myself at age four, bounding away from my dad in a game of hide-n-seek and squealing with joy when I glanced over my shoulder to see him giving up the chase. Ahh, to have that unending supply of energy.
Then it felt like time stood still. The patter of raindrops was so soothing that I was soon engrossed in my thoughts. Unfortunately, I was sharply roused from my meditations when I came across an affectionate couple on one of the paths. I guess a rainy nature hike isn't as original an idea as I'd hoped. Either way, I really appreciated this time of quiet reflection. As I wandered back down the muddy path with my trusty umbrella, I realized how important it is to literally stop and smell the roses. Maybe I'll return to these spots someday when the weather's better. Until then, it was nice for just a moment to feel the peace and release that only nature can bring.
It's pretty rare to have a completely free Saturday afternoon. Well, I take that back. There are always things I should be doing, but don't really want to. So instead of dealing with reality, I decided to visit a few of the parks in my neighborhood.
In the late afternoon it was around 50 degrees and lightly drizzling. Normally that would sound miserable and depressing for an outdoor activity, but somehow I found the weather refreshing. The air was crisp and clean, and every fiber in me felt alert. It was like the rain was washing away any stresses of the past week.
Most of these parks I'd played in at some point during my childhood. I had flashbacks of wonderful, carefree times as I strolled past the aviaries, secret gardens, gazebos, and jungle gyms. I imagined the parks springing with life; I could almost hear echoes of gleeful children's voices. I even saw myself at age four, bounding away from my dad in a game of hide-n-seek and squealing with joy when I glanced over my shoulder to see him giving up the chase. Ahh, to have that unending supply of energy.
Then it felt like time stood still. The patter of raindrops was so soothing that I was soon engrossed in my thoughts. Unfortunately, I was sharply roused from my meditations when I came across an affectionate couple on one of the paths. I guess a rainy nature hike isn't as original an idea as I'd hoped. Either way, I really appreciated this time of quiet reflection. As I wandered back down the muddy path with my trusty umbrella, I realized how important it is to literally stop and smell the roses. Maybe I'll return to these spots someday when the weather's better. Until then, it was nice for just a moment to feel the peace and release that only nature can bring.