Saturday, April 14

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. 

4 comments:

Optimistic Existentialist said...

This reminds me of one of my fondest memories. A few years ago, I was enjoying an evening jog and it started to drizzle. the drizzle slowly gained intensity and became a downpour...a wonderful warm downpour. I finished my jog nonetheless. It was one of those moments that you never forget.

Syd said...

I so appreciate being out in Nature. Glad that you had a good ride.

Pablo said...

Keith,

You're awakening my interest with rain, I know you love it so. Do you still jog? When I prepared for 10K races, I'd run in the rain, too. I hope to be at the place again, soon.

What was it about the jogging in the rain that met your need for celebration and wonder? Just curious, wanting to understand you better.

Thanks for dropping by. I hope you have a great week!

Pablo said...

Syd,

You've had experiences with nature that I've dreamed about having. A dear one I know grew up in Fl. with plenty of boating experiences. Once, she water skied, when they brought the skis in, she said they had barracuda teeth in them.

That sounds a bit apocryphal to me. She also mentioned picnicking on little islands, in the Keys.

I have another friend who lived on a yacht here, in the SF Bay, for 18 years. 42 feet in size. These are experiences I've never had.

Thanks for dropping by, reading and commenting!

Quotes from the Posts

"I'm mindful that our thoughts affect the words we use, our words influence our actions, our actions shape our character and our character determines our destiny."

From "My Character Determines My Destiny." To read it, please click here.

"Progress not perfection, is better than no progress at all, especially when we're trying to rid ourselves from unwelcome dragons that dwell within the closets of our soul."

From, "Still Learning" which, within four days, became the most popular post
written. To read it, please click here.

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its trouble, but it does empty today of its strength"
From the post: "Life Is Not a Correspondence Program." Click here to read it.

"Even though we cannot control our circumstances, we can control how we choose to respond to them."

From, "Handling Stress and Dealing With an Emotional Bully."Click here to read this post.

"Nope, being busy isn't exciting. Boring is good. Because boring is not boring; boring is being healthy, living a balanced life that has serenity"

From: "Do You Know What It Means If You Are Too Busy?" For more, please click here.

Labels