It was a fiery week. One of those weeks that really challenges your positivity. We all have them. So me being me, I grabbed a couple of cameras and went to the wetlands at Circle B in Lakeland.
It is probably my favorite getaway spot and under the clear blue skies of a Saturday morning here in Florida, what better place to be?
I had promised myself to seek out some birds at the weekend after that miserable bird news we got during the week. But in truth, there isn’t much “seeking” involved when you live in Central Florida … birds abound and in quantities and variations that belie the truth.
I try to get there as soon after sunrise as I can because it gives me a lot of alone-time on the trails. You might see an avid adventurer or two along the way but for the vast majority of time it is just really the place, the creatures, and me. I am not sure if it is a sign of approaching senility but I find myself in conversation with many of these creatures that I chance across. It hasn’t gotten to the point yet where they answer me back but just occasionally I get a look back that makes me realize that they are understanding me on at least a very basic level.
“I come in peace” is a primitive level greeting that we are all aware of and with the right tone and behavior, sometimes these little guys know I am not a threat.
There are some of the pics from yesterday at the bottom of this post and I hope you enjoy one or two of them.
By the time I had sat back in my car and started to drive home, I noticed how much my own demeanor had changed. When I arrived, I was still carrying the stresses of the week on me and had been cursing at fellow drivers who inadvertently annoyed me on my way over.
But now I was very relaxed. Tired and sweaty, for sure. But relaxed.
Isn’t that a lovely moment when you suddenly realize that you have mellowed out? It’s almost like you achieved something that you should feel proud of. And in some ways, you certainly should.
It is easy to bury yourself further into the annoyances of the week and some choose to drown their sorrows with alcohol or some other substance that only masks the stress for a while.
But truly healing from a bad period needs a method that addresses the actual illness and works to heal the symptoms. I refer to it as an “illness” because stress, annoyances, irritation, pressure, and the collection of bad moments they give us, indeed do make us sick.
When we are robbed of our inner happiness and stability, we are left with a void that is easily filled with sadness and depression. So the real answer is to find something positive to put in there instead. Nature (for me at least) is a wonderful healer in that sense, because like it or not, we are all a part of the natural world. So using nature in this way becomes a form of self-healing.
And I firmly believe that nothing beats self-healing.
I went through the rest of the day yesterday looking at life from a brighter perspective. I am sure that the week ahead will bring some more catastrophes that have to be dealt with. But at this moment I know that they can bring it on … I am ready.
Some weeks more than others can definitely leave us with a feeling of being burnt out but finding a fire escape for ourselves and getting ourselves to a place where we can reconstitute is worth its weight in gold.
Become aware of when you are on fire. Don’t distract from it but deal with it. Self-awareness and self-healing is a powerful combination in taking control of your life. And escape can be a key bridge between the two.
I find mine yesterday and I hope you find yours on whatever trail awaits you.
