Fragments Gallery
Calm After a Storm
After the ferocity of the storm last night I was a little surprised that little to no sign of it remained when I went out for a walk a few hours ago. One of the few things that I did notice was that the world seemed slightly… subdued. It could have just been my imagination but there seemed to be tranquility in the fading day. It was this tranquility and several other little things that got me thinking.
I went and stood on a hilltop overlooking Fish Creek Park; once there I closed my eyes and just listened. Listened to the passing cars on the road behind me, the distant songs of birds and most of all, silence. It was almost as though once the rain had ceased falling, once the storm had ended, a void had been opened and something had been taken away. The memory of what had been remained but it was odd to compare it to the peace and tranquility that which remained.
Standing back from the world, couldn't one compare adversity, or the problems that we face, with the storm? While people are in the midst of their troubles, living through the challenges that they are confronted with, stress or worries can make things feel chaotic. When this chaos ends, it is almost as though something has been taken from us. Something that is not necessarily good, but precious all the same.
Looking out across the park, I couldn't help but feel somewhat… at peace I guess. It was as though the surrounding atmosphere somehow changed my own perception of the moment.
The sun sank below the distant tree line as I stood there and the world transformed for a brief second. The forest grew dark, and in the distance the mountains seemed imposing, stark, but beautiful in their own way. But beyond those mountains remained the sun, light. It was a beacon of hope, tantalizing and just over the horizon. It would come again, if only you waited long enough for it.
As I turned to leave, a piece of fluff, the fluff from willow trees I believe, floated across my path. On impulse I reached out and caught it in my hand. For a moment it floated there, so serene, delicate and small, and then I released it into the wind. It seemed to represent something. It seemed to embody hope, values, and a reason to continue. It was fragile and easy to lose hold of and in the storm it can easily be blown out of reach. But somehow it always seems to come back, if only for a brief time.