Close your eyes. Just for a a few seconds. What images did you see? Faces? Places? I see darkness...with flashes of light...mixed with images from the past. Often I see images of my wife, my family, my mother (who we lost almost thirteen years ago)...but it is always the past...and never in color. My mind has the uncanny ability to transport me to places I've been 5, 10, even 30 years ago. It might be because I religiously take photographs and have them meticulously categorized on my computer. It might be because those same pictures are set as the screen saver on my computer...endlessly recycling and taking me on random journey of my past. Robin says that I'm her historian...keeping a record of our life together.
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| With my eyes closed...I can see the summer sun shining through the dense foliage in Michaux State Forest. |
If you let it, your mind can be a dangerous place. Often, it will dwell on things that are worrisome or the things that we perceive are wrong. On the flip side, our minds are amazing filing cabinets filled with all that is good and wonderful with our lives. My mind, in particular, seems to be able to transport me back to any mountain bike ride, at any point in time. I can remember who I was with...what is around each turn...what is on the other side of the next hill...and how I felt at that particular moment. I don't know why I can do it...I just can. Maybe it is because of my love of history...maybe it is because of my acute sense of direction...maybe it is my love of mountain biking...or maybe, a combination of all those things.
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| With my eyes closed...I see myself following Mark Lentz's signs of maintenance. |
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| With my eyes closed...I can see a group of friends standing on top of a mountain eight years ago. |
A week after having surgery on my back I am still managing to keep myself busy and occupied as I sit here on my living room couch. I've been working on
lesson plans for school, reorganizing files on my computer, and I have plenty of "nerdy" books at my disposal just waiting to be read. But today has been a little difficult. The temps have soared into the 70s...the birds are chirping...and the sun is out. It's the kind of spring weather that is perfect for riding a bike...which, I know, I cannot do for a while. I refuse; however, to let this get me down. I've been given the gift of time to have coffee in the morning with my wife and enjoy her company and comfort. I've been given time to sit and watch the morning news...and considering the
horrific events that have just transpired in Belgium...I refuse to have a pity party for myself because I can't ride my bike. All things considered, my situation is pretty good. I hope that those people, who, right now are suffering through so much, have the same the ability that I do. The ability to close their eyes and allow their minds to take them to good places...even if it is just for a moment.
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With my eyes closed...I can see light at the end of the tunnel that runs underneath I-83 at the Lakes.
Life is a journey, not a destination.
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David A. Raymond -- March 24, 2016
