Beauty in the Loneliness

This video is so beautiful. And it made me think of all of the solitary walks I've taken here at college. Rushing to class, strolling to church, walking to the library. And all of the wonderful things I've seen and wanted to share with others. The bitter cold day in January that I took a walk, and saw the beauty of the frozen world, passed the washboard harmonica player in the diag, and ended up buying girl scout cookies from a rather cheerful father-daughter duo. The time I saw a squirrel sneeze. The beauty in freshly falling snow, and behind a building where no one could see me, I tilted back my head and caught snowflakes in my mouth. The walks to the library, past the burger restaurant that always smells of falafel for some reason, the small park with the black modern art sculpture, and the adorable little yellow house tucked in between all the other two story renters. The shortcuts I've found, small alleyways in between buildings, often with arches over them so it feels like you are entering a tunnel to the unknown, and occasionally opening into small courtyards I've always wanted to stop and sit in.

And at home. The walks I've taken. The walks to Crane Park in the summer, with Buddy at my side, only returning when the sun is gone and the mosquitos are out, and the reassurance of the streets I know so well in the day and nighttime. The walks through the cemetery, often with no view in mind at all. Walking to and from school, especially in the early spring when it is finally getting warm out and I decide to take off my shoes and socks and walk barefoot. The walks to Paramount, where I sit quietly and swing slowly on the swings, wishing you, whoever you may be, were there. The walks out to Portage on a shopping adventure. The many, many walks with Buddy around the block, running the first block, my flip-flops smacking against the pavement and Buddy glancing at me, his tongue lolling.

All of those solitary walks I see something unexpectedly beautiful. And I always want to share it with someone, but I wonder if I would see those beautiful things if someone was with me. Would I appreciate the unexpected pleasure of my strolls, if I constantly had someone with me? Yet I always wish I could share the beauty.

One of my accomplishments of the day...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IizK_HoQfqw

I Want To Take A Stroll With You

I want to take a stroll with you

Along the winter streets and walks.

The silent snow and quiet steps

On the darkened familiar paths.

I'll lean against your shoulder blade,

My cheek against your coat.

My hand will find its way

Into yours inside your pocket.

The snow will fall from grey-blue clouds.

We'll have no place to be,

No destination final.

Just you and me

And all the silent world to see.

The dark will be our friend,

The silent world surrounding.

All others indoors will be

Hiding from the chill.

All save us, the lovers

Of the cold, of the midnight world.

Someday we'll bring our children 'long

These paths, beneath orange streetlamps;

Places hidden from such false light.

The snow will illuminate our way

Our trek through woods, up hills, along lanes.

Our silent exultation in the dark cold night,

Reveling in the loneliness,

The aloneness of we two.

I want to take a stroll with you.

You know how some days, you just feel blah and nothing makes it better? Yeah

Despite my current state of blah, I'm still going to ramble about my life. Because I promised you all I would. So I'm going to talk about the library. I took a lovely walk to the library on Monday. It was such a perfect temperature outside, and clear and sunny and chilly. So fall-like and beautiful. The trees no longer look their best as the temperature drops and snow appears in the forecast. But Monday was still warmish and wonderful. I took a route to the public library that didn't include the streets I normally walk down. I walked past houses with pumpkins on the front porches and squirrels and sparrows in the yards, preparing for winter.

The library is a nice, open building with lots of windows. I was so happy to be in a building that contained so many books. I've missed the library. I've missed my library. And while the Ann Arbor District Library is not the KPL, it is a library. A little smaller than KPL, less books, but still, a lovely library. A very nice librarian had me fill out a form, gave me my new library card, and explained where everything was located. Then I wandered around, first in the teen department, where I was pleased to see that they had some of my favorite books, then in the rest of the library. I was happy with what I saw. They have a large collection of DVDs, which I'm going to take advantage of, as well as a CD collection, and lots of books, of course. I borrowed only two books, and happily walked back to my dorm. The library is only a ten minute walk away. I'm very happy with my new L card.

You know, thinking about the library and writing this post has made me happier. I guess there was something that could make me feel better.