Monday, February 04, 2008

The Road or the Railing?

When I got to the bridge, the sun was in the mid-morning place, where it's warm but not overhead. It's never quite so golden and hopeful as it is just then.

I'd been in the forest, wandering from tree to tree. I didn't know I'd been lost. I'd called it exploring. Yet every detail had distracted me. Every birdsong had stolen bits of morning. Had I been exploring I would have enjoyed it. I would have wandered with lust for the tiniest bits of color. But curiosity hadn't been who pushed me forward. It was a need to move without the corresponding direction to be going.

Then, I decided.

I simply decided.

It was a moment of standing in quiet reflection -- no mirror, except my own opinion. The answer was time to leave there, time to go be a person, this person. It was time to forward to my future.

And turned toward the sunlight I saw the bridge with the perfectly raked dirt road and the exquisite iron railing. It was bathed in the golden sun of mid-morning and it offered a luscious decision.

Take the road or take a moment at the railing.

--me liz strauss, letting me be

10 comments:

Bungz said...

Take a moment... Every step of the way...

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

I agree, Bungi. I so agree. We don't remember time. We remember moments. :)

Dr.John said...

Too few people stop at the railing.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Dr. John,
Isn't that railing just one fabulous invitation. It's art in itself. Imagine the view looking over it. :)

Anonymous said...

I've been thinking about bridges lately, and this one is so exquisite. I grew up in an area that's defined by bridges, and maybe that has something to do with my affinity toward them. The detail on this bridge added more food for my thought. Bridges are so much more than simply functional. This bridge makes the act of crossing a true experience. It calls the one crossing to stop and notice it's beauty as well as whatever is below or beyond. Thanks for the extra food for thought, Liz.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Dawn!
I know what you are saying. This bridge is like a beautiful frame for the view that lies beyond. It makes you stop to notice it -- the bridge -- then how could you not notice it in context?

Anonymous said...

How could I not stop at such an inviting railing. This is beautiful.I love the way you remind us all about choices and choosing to take the time to stop and breathe.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Easy,
Reminding you is the way I remind myself to do the same thing. Imagine if I had no one to say this to. :)

Janus Torrell said...

Railings are good...if you stop to sniff the flowers a bee gets ya

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Janus,
The bee isn't always there and the flowers aren't either. But the sun shines on good days. And we get to pick which days are good.