Just a Walk Away
A friend, Merry, and I decided to take a long walk yesterday. The wind was brisk and you could tell it was going to be the coolest evening we’ve had in a long time. Her girls and a friend went on their bikes and scooter with us.
We’ve walked around her neighborhood hundreds of times before. It was after 5 pm when we started and traffic was a little heavier than usual on the main roads.
“Let’s go this way.” the girls said.
“Ok, there will be less traffic.” Merry replied.
We walked into part of the subdivision that was being developed. At the end of one of the houseless cul-de-sacs we stopped and viewed the lake at the bottom of the cliff we were standing on.
“Wow, that’s beautiful.” we exclaimed. From all indications it was going to be a stunning sunset.
“Let’s go down the dirt road.” One of the girls said. “Yeah, yeah,” we heard as the others jumped up and down. They were adventurers; too, I thought as we all agreed to take that path.
So, the five of us ventured over the mound of uneven road and down the bluff to the lake. We could hear the Broad River nearby. The bushes and trees were thick for most of the journey down. You could see the glistening lake to the left and a heavy cover of trees to the right between us and the river.
We never made it to the river.
The site of the lake and the walk down that road through the woods and bushes consumed our time.
The sun was setting and we needed to turn around and head back, but not before Merry and I agreed that this was our bit of country life.
On the way back, right at the bottom of the cliff, my cellphone rang. It was my publisher friend, Charles, calling to see if I had received my first copy of the book I had just written – Sardines, Cheese and Soda Crackers: Reflections From a Country Girl.
“In case I sound out of breath, you need to know I’m climbing up a mountain, Charles.” I said as we talked.
He would have laughed if he’d seen what I called a mountain. While it was a very steep incline to the top of the cliff, it was really just a hill…but a beautiful one at that.
Now, I have a new “country road” to travel on – at least until they start building houses on the bluff.
When I get a chance, I’ll take my camera and get a picture of it for you before it disappears. Country roads have a tendency of disappearing in this world today.
You have to take your country paths while you can in the city, and this one will be well etched in my memory for a very long time. Yes, I will definitely walk this way again.
My wish for you today is that you have a chance to walk a country path as often in your life as possible. It’s so different from walking on a well paved street. Things are most often fresher, cleaner and calmer when you’re on a country road. You may even be lucky enough to find one nearby.
~Joellen