Day -1

Originally written 3/20/2020

If you didn’t know, you now know — tales wander. They have wings and paws and claws. They fly from mouth to ear, from eye to mind and take root in memories and hearts for a long time to come. I have plenty of those in my own mind, moments that were special in their own way and have taken hold. I’d like to share some of those with you today and going forward, whether it’s one reader or five hundred. Maybe one of these tales or musings can inspire you to have and share your own wandering tales.

We are two days away from a shelter in place, that is supposed limit our exposure to the outside world, people and places, removing my chances to wander. But I believe that I will wander again someday, that I will go from here to there and find little stories to share with you and myself through word or pictures. Certainly not every adventure is grand, but every adventure can give you a little something that completes the missing piece of something far greater in your life that you’ve carried in your mind and have felt it be incomplete. So here we are, the first wandering tale.

No clouds marred the sky this afternoon. The sun bore down to make the temperature feel way more comfortable than the lower 30s my phone suggested. Buddy was happy however, for his walk was coming up and that was the best thing ever for him – clearly Buddy is a dog. Of course he would be happy regardless of the weather conditions, he doesn’t pay much attention to the weatherman. A walk is an opportunity not to be wasted due to temporarily uncomfortable conditions.

Due to social distancing and my parents, who are an at risk group for COVID-19, Buddy and I drove through the still surprisingly busy neighborhood streets and got on the short stretch of the main road before our turn onto the road that takes us to the happy parking spot, where our adventures (walks) begin. However, on the way I saw something I haven’t seen for a long time, and certainly not something that I expected to see in times like these…hitchhikers. Two gentleman were walking on the side of the road with the telltale hitchhiking thumb fully extended in the air. They had full military backpacks, baggy warm clothing, boots and masks on. They were dressed for their activity but it immediately made me wonder, why? Where were they going? Who would pick up anyone right now, when anyone could be a carrier? The road would carry them east, which in itself it held multiple options. It could be the near small towns or it could be Albany. It could have been the Adirondacks or the Catskills, or it could have been simply home that they are trying to reach but had no other means of getting to.

I suspect that I will never know, just how none of us know where we will end up at the end of this pandemic. Will we still have the lockdown in a month or two? Will the world ever go back to normal? Will my father still have the health to go to Latvia once more? Just like it was for the hitchhikers, our road stretches before us, only God truly knows where it will take us.

The walk was uneventful, thankfully. The evening before we had run into a skunk and he has certainly left its impression on Buddy, me and my car. We both have required extensive washing and the car has been on its own, fighting back with slightly rolled down windows and racks in the soft top. But alas, we walked and only saw one person and two geese. I always feel bad for the geese. Buddy has walked these canal pathways for so many years now it must be ingrained in them to move and hide.

We heard many unique and beautiful bird songs. There are so many out now that I wish I could get my hands on some bird seed to carry with me so I could feed them. Although this poses the danger of being swarmed by a flock. I’m not even sure Buddy could save me then. We finished our typical walk at its typical time and went to my parents’ to restock on food and scratches. My original, and now second home.

I have two homes. Do the hitchhikers? Are they in a safe, warm, dry location at 1AM as I type this, or are they huddled up in some ravine that’s free of the wind? Are you, reader, home? Or is it simply a place that you reside in that doesn’t bring you the feeling of what home means to your heart? What does home mean to you? I’ve been asking this question of myself for a while now and I still don’t know. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

While we can, lets enjoy our place that’s available to us and remember to take breaths and savor them. Time is all we have right now, so take up what you’ve always wanted, finish that book or that painting, learn that language…and most importantly, wash your hands.

Be kind to each other and lets wander together again sometime.