In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no
two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike. --
Paulo Coelho
Not too
long ago, I took a walk in the woods. I felt like I needed to take a break from
everything… the telephone, the computer, the sounds of the neighborhood… So, I
grabbed my camera and left the house. It was a walk that I’ve taken many times
because the nature preserve is a short walk from my house. Was there anything
new that I could discover on the path? As I started on the path, I could see
that the leaves were gone from the trees. I looked down and saw that I was
walking on a blanket of fallen leaves.
I had
left the phone at home. I had left my home and all of my things, except for the
camera, but the “real world” kept impinging on my thoughts. Was I really and
truly present in these quiet woods? As I walked, I looked up, noticing how far
the tops of the trees were and how they were pointing directly at the sky. The
path curved, and I followed it. Slowly, the “real world” seemed less real. It
was the woods that felt real: the trees that had broken and had fallen by the
path, the birds flying above, the swampy areas full of water. I walked around
the puddles that had formed from recent rain storms, and was soon standing on
the shores of the Niagara River, looking at a grassy island. The grass had
turned brown with autumn.
The
geese flying above honked loudly, as they began their long journey south. Dogs
and their humans walked by me. The dogs stopped when they saw me, sniffed me,
and recognized in me someone who would always pay attention to a dog. With
their humans’ approval, I petted the dogs and they looked at me, happy. Happiness
comes more readily to a dog than to a human. By the time that I reached the
marsh that flows directly from the river, I felt calm. I was not longer focused
on that illusion, called a “real world.” My real world was there, with the
woods and the river. I looked up to the bright blue sky and saw that the sun
had fallen low to the west. It would soon set. It was time for me to leave this
beautiful space, full of peacefulness, and head home.
I
walked home calmly, happy to be where I was at that moment. The blues in the
sky had deepened and were joined by pink clouds and by the yellow of the
disappearing sun. It had been a good journey, albeit a different journey from
ones that I had experienced earlier and, undoubtedly, different from future
journeys in the same space.
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Alice Gerard is a journalist, blogger, gardener, and artist, who lives near Niagara Falls, New York, near the border between the United States and Canada. She enjoys walking long distances and photography. She blogs at “Alice’s Grand Adventures” and can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
This post is written for the December bloghop #mymojo with Shalzmojo
Linking up for #wordsante with Namysaysso for every post deserves some love!
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It sounds like a good break away from the phone and the world. I know I would love to get this sort of detox! I'm absolutely in love with the second pic: pink sky and I can feel the crisp in the air!
ReplyDeleteLoved this walk through the woods which you took us along, Alice. As you rightly put it, no two walks are ever the same. Your photographs are stunning! I also loved the description of the different colours of the sky
ReplyDeleteWe all need to get away from the real world and find solace and comfort in nature. Mother Nature will never let us down! i loved reading your post, Alice; it felt like i was there, walking alongside you!
ReplyDeleteLoved the post through the woods.... with lovely photo clicks
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colors of the sky. It seems different everyday! Lucky you that you have such a place around to explore and take those long peaceful walks :-)
ReplyDeleteA remarkable journey .. getting away from the hustle bustle, losing ourselves in the midst of nature and rejuvenating is the best thing to do
ReplyDeletewooww.. natures beauty is something that you can't compare. Tall trees, blue sky, and so on
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