Backyard Explorer
Since time unknown, from east to west, from dawn to dusk, from life to death, explorers have been roaming the earth, seeking out hidden treasures of the planet, uncovering gems of the past, marvels of the land, stories of the oceans. But hey, this is the 21st century, adventuring isn't a thing anymore as we sit at our computer desks and ponder about how to automate everything so that we don't need to move a muscle. Not very often do we get to say, come life, let's have a breath of fresh air together.
As for me, I'm always ridiculously wandering somewhere else in my head. In meetings, in hallways, in elevators, with my best poker face on, I'm just drifting on a candyfloss piece of cloud. The slightest chance I get to overcome the escape velocity, I get whisked away. Not to far away lands, but only to the undiscovered little corners around the city, rundown brick alleys, down sunny tree-lined pathways, towards the sparkling waterfront, on to the blue expanse of the ocean in my backyard. How I love exploring, but the hidden charms of the backyard are really what makes my heart with pleasure fill.
So I headed out for the Toronto islands on a day that the sun was unexpectedly high, after a whole week of playing hide and seek. My first encounter with joyous little things was at the waiting lounge for the ferry, where a stout, bold and friendly pigeon with sea legs (it had webbed feet, looked pretty evolutionary) courageously hopped around among us crazy babbling humans, seeking crumbs. A generous Arab mom patiently tore little pieces of bread and threw them down at the bird with a voracious appetite, while her dark-haired little boy squealed with delight in his eyes.
The ferry, filled with a bright bunch of people with the sun in their eyes chugged across to Ward's island, that breath of fresh air in the cityscape. On landing, groups of people, families and old couples and tourists excitedly headed off in different directions along different roads and trails. Being the lone wanderer that I was, somewhat unsure of my will and direction, I headed down the path that went straight out ahead of me. Rows of pretty houses with gardens, grassy fields with children playing baseball and soccer, people walking with other people, bridges over canals, lovely things all around. Having no destination or company, I must admit that I felt a little lost. That is, until I found some glimpse of blue in the distance. More ocean, more islands! There weren't many people along this stretch, so I followed a lazy biker down the trail alongside the open blue waters, along the narrow beach. This time I could see a lighthouse in the distance. There's something about a lighthouse that gives me direction, almost like a lost ship that sees a beacon of light in the distance. I bounced along as the sun and shadows alternated, keeping the lighthouse to my left, bundled up in my warm scarf against the cold sea breeze.
I reached a turn, where a bridge over a pool took me to the other side. I found a memorial, a tree with knotted branches dedicated to a soul whose friendship, music and life were to be remembered. What beautiful things to be remembered for, I thought. I walked on, thinking for a moment, what would the world be like when I wasn't there in it, and not being able to imagine much, looked for earthly signs of direction. On my right, the tall trademark tower of the city rose high above the horizon. Flanked by the tallest buildings, it created a neat frame for a picture. Ah, that was the building where I was working, standing prominently among its peers. Wow, I thought to myself, my job could actually be impactful! The trail of work-related thoughts soon dispelled as I flopped down on the grass right beside the water. Eyeing the sun-starved people sitting sloppily on a bench, I sat with my legs outstretched and gripped a twig like a wand in my hand.
That wand must have done some magic for sure, for lo and behold, a beautiful white swan right out of a fairy tale came skimming across the water from a distance, its wings held out, a bit like a seaplane making a smooth landing on the water surface, right in front of me. What awesome grace. A few minutes later its equally beautiful mate came over to visit as well, the pair making swirls in the water, dancing the ballet. They eyed me and another pair of camera ready humans with contempt, and then swam away steadily. We were quite enthralled.
I sat on that shore for long, letting my thoughts flow like a stream. No coffees needed, no numbers on a screen. Rather blissful. I probably could have sat like that until the creatures of the dark started to stir, but I remembered that my groceries and plans of healthy eating were to be taken care of. I headed back slowly, walking along the shore, and stood for a while watching a father and son duo trying to sail a toy boat. They made a great picture and last memory of my day, as I boarded the bustling ferry bound homeward.
As for me, I'm always ridiculously wandering somewhere else in my head. In meetings, in hallways, in elevators, with my best poker face on, I'm just drifting on a candyfloss piece of cloud. The slightest chance I get to overcome the escape velocity, I get whisked away. Not to far away lands, but only to the undiscovered little corners around the city, rundown brick alleys, down sunny tree-lined pathways, towards the sparkling waterfront, on to the blue expanse of the ocean in my backyard. How I love exploring, but the hidden charms of the backyard are really what makes my heart with pleasure fill.
So I headed out for the Toronto islands on a day that the sun was unexpectedly high, after a whole week of playing hide and seek. My first encounter with joyous little things was at the waiting lounge for the ferry, where a stout, bold and friendly pigeon with sea legs (it had webbed feet, looked pretty evolutionary) courageously hopped around among us crazy babbling humans, seeking crumbs. A generous Arab mom patiently tore little pieces of bread and threw them down at the bird with a voracious appetite, while her dark-haired little boy squealed with delight in his eyes.
The ferry, filled with a bright bunch of people with the sun in their eyes chugged across to Ward's island, that breath of fresh air in the cityscape. On landing, groups of people, families and old couples and tourists excitedly headed off in different directions along different roads and trails. Being the lone wanderer that I was, somewhat unsure of my will and direction, I headed down the path that went straight out ahead of me. Rows of pretty houses with gardens, grassy fields with children playing baseball and soccer, people walking with other people, bridges over canals, lovely things all around. Having no destination or company, I must admit that I felt a little lost. That is, until I found some glimpse of blue in the distance. More ocean, more islands! There weren't many people along this stretch, so I followed a lazy biker down the trail alongside the open blue waters, along the narrow beach. This time I could see a lighthouse in the distance. There's something about a lighthouse that gives me direction, almost like a lost ship that sees a beacon of light in the distance. I bounced along as the sun and shadows alternated, keeping the lighthouse to my left, bundled up in my warm scarf against the cold sea breeze.
I reached a turn, where a bridge over a pool took me to the other side. I found a memorial, a tree with knotted branches dedicated to a soul whose friendship, music and life were to be remembered. What beautiful things to be remembered for, I thought. I walked on, thinking for a moment, what would the world be like when I wasn't there in it, and not being able to imagine much, looked for earthly signs of direction. On my right, the tall trademark tower of the city rose high above the horizon. Flanked by the tallest buildings, it created a neat frame for a picture. Ah, that was the building where I was working, standing prominently among its peers. Wow, I thought to myself, my job could actually be impactful! The trail of work-related thoughts soon dispelled as I flopped down on the grass right beside the water. Eyeing the sun-starved people sitting sloppily on a bench, I sat with my legs outstretched and gripped a twig like a wand in my hand.
That wand must have done some magic for sure, for lo and behold, a beautiful white swan right out of a fairy tale came skimming across the water from a distance, its wings held out, a bit like a seaplane making a smooth landing on the water surface, right in front of me. What awesome grace. A few minutes later its equally beautiful mate came over to visit as well, the pair making swirls in the water, dancing the ballet. They eyed me and another pair of camera ready humans with contempt, and then swam away steadily. We were quite enthralled.
I sat on that shore for long, letting my thoughts flow like a stream. No coffees needed, no numbers on a screen. Rather blissful. I probably could have sat like that until the creatures of the dark started to stir, but I remembered that my groceries and plans of healthy eating were to be taken care of. I headed back slowly, walking along the shore, and stood for a while watching a father and son duo trying to sail a toy boat. They made a great picture and last memory of my day, as I boarded the bustling ferry bound homeward.
Comments
Post a Comment