I am still sharing the trail with lots of people rather than trying desperately to avoid them. It is going well, mostly. I won’t do it forever, but for now, it works. It feels safe. Today was busy because the weather was BEAUTIFUL. By early afternoon, crowds grew, and I found myself in a small, loose, disconnected group. The trail was narrow, and it was hard to pass, so we simply walked, single-file, along the River Trail. The couple behind me was talking. I assume they were young because the woman spoke about getting her first apartment. I smiled and got lost in my thoughts, remembering being fresh out of college and moving across the country with my boyfriend. I remembered a feeling of infinite possibilities. I had my whole life ahead of me and was free to make it exactly what I wanted it to be, like magic. I felt empowered and free.
I was startled out of my daydream when the woman started talking about setting bear traps on her porch to catch trespassers. It was a little funny and also endearing. If she somehow stumbles on this post, I hope she understands that I am not making fun of her; the outlandishness of the idea is part of the magic of that mindset. ANYTHING is possible. Anything. Dream it up. Make it happen.
So, if I don’t want bear traps, what do I want? Where does that magic go as we grow up? Why does it go away? Anything is still possible, AND we have knowledge that comes with living that would probably prevent most of us from setting bear traps on our porch, which is good. We are wise now. So why not dream up something better?
My thoughts were interrupted when I realized that I was going to miss a party. I decided to post a selfie taken in the woods on the event page to explain my absence. The resulting image included a beautiful sun flare. On the way home, I saw a perfect moon over a perfect barn in a perfect field. I pulled over. When I saw the picture, adrenaline coursed through my body. Maybe magic is everywhere. If magic is what we look for, magic is what we see. And no matter what, each of us STILL has our whole life ahead of us. Anything is possible. Dream it up. Make it happen. Magic is everywhere.