Today I Walked

and I saw so many things. I bustled through Saturday Market on a mission to find rugs. On a mission to find a new chain for my pendant. I rushed through Ross on the mission to find rugs. I dashed to Spartacus to visit a friend. I ran into another old friend where we then went to find lunch. We caught a movie and parted ways. I hurried home to meet him. We raced to get the rest of my belongings from the old place then turned back around and raced back home. I bolted to Trader Joes for some cash. I hastened to Freddies on a final mission for nail polish remover. Finally, no missions left, no errands remaining, nothing left to rush for, I strolled slowly back to where I lay my head.

In my head I thought about the empty night streets. I thought about the trees with their new leaves. I thought about how those leaves look when the sun shone through them the way they did today. I thought about how when I looked up today I saw blue. I saw the blue sky. I thought about the woman pushing a stroller and her vibrant bright pink hair. I thought about the hunreds of people enjoying the day and the thousands more that rushed through it like I did. I thought about my family. I looked through the green leaves luminated by the sun and how lucky I am. I thought about how wonderful this city is. I thought about so many things.

I looked up at the sky and saw stars. A flash of the night sky in Hawaii flashed through my mind. I remembered what the night sky was supposed to look like. I remembered seeing The Milky Way, the entire galaxy opened up right above Hawaii. I looked down at the ground and saw flower petals. Hundreds of flower petals fallen from the trees above me. The blooms have been replaced by green and I remembered the twisted oak trees of Texas. I remembered how Texas wasn't supposed to look the way it did; brown, twisted, dead.

For the first time in a long while, I could hold my head up high and not realize it. I didn't have to make an effort to be happy. I realized I really was happy. I realized this life gets better and better. I realized all over again how beautiful Portland is.