Today I came out of the Richards Building and into a dazzlingly beautiful morning. The sun was warm and cozy, the trees and grass and flowers all vibrant - as if doing a final performance before the onset of fall. I didn't have my next class for another hour, so I decided to let my busy concerns run ahead without me, and I just stood there being happy. I watched a dragonfly zooming around the lawn for at least fifteen minutes. I just let it all go and marveled at nature.
Practically walking on air, I finally made it down the steps away from the building, bidding my dragonfly farewell. But nature had capture me, enraptured me, and I was not willing to let go of the delightful, engulfing peace I had found. I found a spot on a hill that was drenched in sunlight, and I set down my bag. I lay on the grass, face toward the sun and arms behind my head, feeling completely free. My face was set in a permanent smile. I thought I'd never be unhappy again. I looked around: above me, to the side, and down my legs.
There was a huge spider on my leg!
I shrieked in terror as the twisted, brown spider skittered around my leg and down my calf. I jumped up, whacking at my jeans and shaking my legs. To anyone who passed by, the sight of a screaming, flailing girl might have been a bit unnerving. But what had they to be unnerved about? They weren't the ones with a horrible, ugly spider crawling on their legs!
After a few moments of thrashing, I finally knocked the spider back into the grass. It stared at me, daring me to kill it. I didn't want to go near it. Besides, we were outside. I knew this was his territory, not mine. So I scooped up my backpack, trembling, and hastily walked away.
The message was clear. Mother Nature wanted me to get off my butt and go back to school.
2 comments:
I'm glad you took a moment to just be.
And I'm glad I'm not your only mother telling you to get your butt in gear.
Sick... I'm telling you, they're out to get us. The spiders know, dude, they know...
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