Turtle Xing
The river was gently moving along, with geese floating effortlessly on top. I stood on the bridge and peered over the edge, looking into the water for something else – a deeper meaning, an inner calm, a balm for my recently fragile optimism. It was warm and beautiful, with the fragrance of new leaves beginning to emerge, moss starting to green up, and spring crocuses peeking up between the fallen leaves.
As I let my eyes roam over the river’s surface, I focused deeper and saw dozens of fishies relaxing in the cold water, all lined up like toy soldiers. I saw two squirrels, a few sparrows and then the best thing happened. Two turtles, about the size of volleyballs cut in half, splished into the river.
Just recently, I find I’m having troubles finding words to share – having gotten into my head that I must be interesting or funny or insightful in these posts. But today I had a thought. If I’m only funny or insightful or fascinating all the time, it isn’t representative of me, as a whole person. No one is ‘on’ all the time. So I’m giving myself a break, and we’re just going to go stream of consciousness for a while.
I’ve been thinking about my own grandmothers, and their lives. Grandma Laura is someone I didn’t know very well at all. I remember her pink coin purse and that she’d give us her coins, but I have no idea what she thought about or liked or hated. With Grandma Georgia, I know OF her, more than I knew her. I know that she was a flapper in the 20’s, got divorced in the 30’s and lost her sister in her 40’s. But I don’t know what her favorite food was, or her favorite flower, or animal.
When Arthur is old enough to read these ponderings of mine, I want him to be able to get the whole picture of who I am, not a curated picture or what I think he wants to know or what I want everyone to see, or who I pretend to be. So, I’m off the hook (that was self-imposed), and I’m ready to write again!
Back to the turtles, I was just tickled to pieces yesterday watching the turtles leave the shore and enter their river. Right now, I’m tickled to absolute bits watching, and listening to, a spring thunderstorm over the Hudson River. Crash, boom, bang! That’s the way to ring in this spring.
