People walk in the haze I watch with amaze their ability to remain stable where they cannot see. They move as if nothing spectactular is happening in front of them, as if they could disappear and not be seen again. The body remains grounded to earth, the mind adjusts, normalizes these unstabilizing moments.
In the summer the spirals of my mind drift differently. They linger longer -- causing the haze to steady instead of dissipate. I wander throughout the busyness of the season remaining with my mouth at the surface my body underneath the waves.
I listen to loons sing watch an eagle fly overhead remind myself to feel the air leave my lungs slow down for the moment its so easy to get lost in the busyness of the season so much going on time slips through the cracks while I'm not looking but here is where I watch the sky turn pink and appreciate the breeze against my tanned skin here is where I am grateful
I watch boats on the water as the sun sets the waves causing unsteadiness the heat of summer has come leaving me wandering around marveling at how the different temperatures make me feel changes my mental landsape bringing light back into my days after months of darkness I am reminded how much I love the sun on my skin even when I get burned I mistake it for love lose my mind a bit get pulled under only to return to the surface stand on the sidewalk beside my car watching life continue on feeling the warmth of lingering light in late June
The evenings spent driving along the coast reminders of living my internal reality becomes a scapegoat when the waters become unstable I drive along finding peace within the colors in the east above the ocean the backdrop mirroring the sun saying goodnight I come back to myself when I escape for a bit I learn not to judge the ways in which I turn in order to get through another day.
I wander through a crowd of people. The night is young, the band is alive with the music they’re playing under the stars. Summer, the months in the northern hemisphere where the sun warms the earth, the light stays late as the days drift by in a blur, a hazy hot blur, where walking outside feels like stepping into a warm pool without decision. I continue my winter habits, layers of blankets cover my limbs, only to be pushed away while in a dreamscape. I embrace the green on the leaves and the shade of blue covering cloudless skies beyond the water. It is here, I inhale easy, it is here, I am free.
This is a message, a reminder to balance when you feel adrift. from your body that you’ll be steady, that you will find calm, that you will be neutral once again with time and clarity brings peace only steadiness will provide, stay strong through these challenging days where reality spins faster than your brain can comprehend. You acknowledge the distance between your fingers on the keyboard and your mind adrift from the present, breathe in and find camaraderie in what is happening now.
I call them loops. They loop around my brain causing me to question. When things are bad I push through, when things are good, I delusionally think they can always be this way, that my emotions aren’t severely impacted if I know this level of calm. It’s a lie I fall myself, every single time and without fail, I am reminded of the power my body possesses, how things shift rapidly, how I learn the extremes between calm days and heavy haze inside my brain.
Feeling the air leave your lungs making a rush of energy leave your body to turn the flame into smoke then cut the cake to mark another year of this beautiful life.
Growing up is learning how to connect the mind to the body. These strange days are filled with delicate daydreams and mind games. I follow the moon but find the sun, listen to the waves constantly telling me to love myself for who I am and how I see, how I am not trying to be someone I’m not, only someone I can look back on and be proud of the self-awareness I gained along the way.