Go Retire Psychiatrist

The other day I was out for a walk along the Terry Trueblood Trail. It was sunny, a little warm but not blistering hot. I saw a few interesting things. This was almost like an awe walk.

I saw a couple of chalk written messages on the walk. One of them was “Enjoy the Ride” and the other was “Enjoy the Walk.” Every once in a while, people will do that, just to remind you that sometimes it’s enough to just move, breathe the air, and simply be still—moment to moment.

I got snapshots of tree swallows. The birds just sat there in the nest boxes, motionless. I could get within a few feet of them, which usually never happens. They flit skyward when they see you coming a half mile off.

It was almost as if I could have reached out and touched them. But I didn’t dare try it. It was a miracle to get as near as I did.

They were just being still. They might have been obeying an instinct to practice stillness. Most of the time they’re in almost constant motion, flitting from the nest to the air to catch bugs and back again.

It’s really hard to be that still, like the shadow of a tree.