Just Over the River

The weather was cold. A driving rain danced down the window as if each drop was trying to outdo the other.  By contrast, our little room at the Harbour House Inn was warm and cozy.  A big inviting bed filled with fresh linens and an oversized down comforter beckoned like a lover’s embrace.  This was the beginning of our four day journey into Canada.  A journey, which by the looks of things, promised to be cold.  My wife and I, the troopers we are, managed to squeeze an innumerable amount of things into this trip despite the chill in the air and our general lack of plans or direction.  Open to the possibility of anything, we wandered, talked, shopped and laughed.

It was as if time stood still for those four days, allowing us the freedom to do whatever it was we wished without fear of deadline or constraint. And suddenly, with all this freedom, we discovered flowers, parks with stunning views and little secret corners tucked away in plain sight.

There is something almost divine about days filled with nothingness; agendas and calendars blank and wanting of use.  Like most people, I try to do too much – multitasking is a badge of honor that we brandish to the world as if we judge our self-worth by how much crap we can accomplish. 

But when was the last time you spent an entire day with no plans and let happenstance determine your course? 

Take time to savior, or even discover these rare and fleeting moments.  Turn the cell phone off; walk away from social networking and just be present in the moment.  Go, wander aimlessly and discover what lies around the next bend; you might just be pleasantly surprised.