Going to school has jump-started some old feelings that have been long
hidden inside of me. For one, I've been walking a lot at night. It seems
that in the last few years, walking at night only ever happened out of
coincidence (i.e. no ride home from the bar, not enough money for a bus
or a cab, running outside to pee, etc.) - Now, I do it out of necessity.
A lot of my classes don't end until after sundown. I've been forced,
therefore, to get back into the night-walking mode.
It is a mode I've missed.
It's sort of like the re-opening of the wardrobe by the children of
Narnia or Robin Williams in Hook remembering how to fly. It's a bit
of a magical, ethereal and enchanting experience to walk at night.
Distractions are few. The air smells alive. Streetlights do their best to
cast you their glow but most of the time, you find your own way out
of shapes and shadows.
Rainy nights are even better (if you have the gear).
Tonight, I walked home in a mist that seemed to be lightly spraying
me from all directions. It refreshed me with each step and left a
clean taste on my lips and mustache. The grass had a little more
give than usual and I felt renewed.
I've been doing a lot of thinking on my nightwalks. I've been clearing
out the mental cobwebs and hearing bolts clang and click back into
place as the mill of my mind churns.
I'm getting back to myself and at the same time, I'm changing completely.
I'm seeing the cyclical nature of it all.
Pretty soon, October will be a memory - and we all know what's next.
'Deep into winter, we all must go'.
