Blissful Solitude: Creating Space for My Soul ...... .............................4/14/12

      Yesterday, Friday evening, I bicycled in the rain.  It was not pouring enough to get me soaked, nor was there lightning or thunder.  The uninviting weather provided blissful solitude, as I
darted through the tree-lined streets of Alameda.  

      Feeding my soul and nurturing my serenity happens, when I extricate myself from the demands of urban living.  Few were on the windblown streets of the only island city in the San Francisco Bay.

      Connecting with nature lifted stresses that were weighing down my spirit. Gusts from the gray sky nudged me, asking what was I was doing in this weather.  The percussive, gentle tapping of raindrops on my blue and green windbreaker provided a soothing, gentle accompaniment to my solitary cruise.  

       Enjoying the ride, I gave thanks for the gifts the evening offered.  I would have missed them, if I had yielded to adult-like common sense and stayed dry at home. 

       The wind-sprayed, three foot waves along the shore  rose up and roared as I rolled along its edge.  Sea gulls soared in the darkening sky above the bay. They voiced complaints to no one but me.  At Crab Cove, scampering alongside my bike, squirrels greeted me. I had no food to offer. Sorry. They melted into the plants that hedged the path.

       I was the lone witness of the trees backdropped by the bay. Beyond them, four intrepid wind surfers rode the choppy, frothy-topped waves. I inhaled nature’s darkening beauty, as twilight drew near.

       Traveling east, along,  the grassy shoreline path at Crown Memorial Beach strained my quadriceps.  Digging into the pedals, I scrambled in the sand, seeking traction while maintaining balance.  My head thanked me for avoiding the low hanging limbs of the gnarly, coastal trees.  At this moment, my body, mind and bike were “one” with the terrain.

       Reaching Shoreline Drive that traces the south shore of Alameda Island, I saw a bobbing speck on the path, three quarters of a mile ahead.  Summoning hunting instincts, I rode in the bicycle’s most demanding gear, surging towards the indistinct image.

       Catching up to it, I passed the athletically built runner, not looking back.  Soon, I’ll be running at the same place, enjoying the fantasies I have when my feet slap the earth at a rapid pace.

       Returning home, silent, but deeply elated, I thanked God for the time we shared. The dance between nature and my body----physically taxed by the twelve mile ride in blustery wind----transported me to sights, sounds and places that met my need for determination, beauty, and celebrating life.