This Little Light of Mine

The fireflies.

They found me in the middle of Texas.

I didn't think it was possible to see them anywhere but my Nana Pat and Papa's house in Iowa. Never did I think they would find me in Alamo Heights. Never did I think I would need a firefly to save me. Never did the underpass on Devine Road seem so magical. The dirt still smelled like the rain storm that just dumped through. Sherlock and I were running down the road at dusk.

Then, that little tiny light flashed. There were three small unforgettable bulbed bugs right in front of me. One of the most beautiful moments I have seen in Texas. Everything was simple. Green hung in the air. Ooooonn. Off. Ooooonn. Off. Ooooonn. Off. Everything else was just frozen, painless, and fuzzy in the background. My life slowed way down in an instant.

My fireflies reminded me of the way I wish I could always live my life. Slow. People laugh when I say I take everything but running slow, but it is the truth. Everything in Texas has seemed to be accelerating since i got here. I miss my speed. And by that I mean I miss my slow. I miss the days that felt like weeks and the moments where I got to just take everything in.

Never has a year passed by so quickly for me. I am no longer the just-graduated. In fact, I just had my first dinner, in a long time, where I really sat down and enjoyed it . (What helped was that the meal was just so incredibly good- sorry I am such a terrible cook Derick!) Does this mean I need yoga? That is what people have been telling me, and I see how that may seem. But reality? I just need some mountains. An ocean. Some sort of aged forest. And birds. Lots of them. An ocean isn't that much to ask, is it? I also need to not be the center of my own world again. That is when my life hits turbo drive and becomes less fun.

Did you know the human ear is tuned to hear best right around the same frequency of most bird song? My sanity lies in feathers and the clear sound of song. Good thing I bought a Groupon to the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. Time to grab my bins, a sandwich, my hiking boots, and some sunscreen. Hello heaven.

I am getting that urge to go live outside again. It doesn't take long for your life to slow down when you stand next to a forest of trees that took hundreds of years to grow. I need something with rhythm, besides my own footsteps. Ooooonn, Off. That is how you slow your life down. All it takes is one little light to tell you. And one little vacation. Work, do you mind? :)

Green may mean "go" but in a "go slow" sort of way :) Welcome back to my life fireflies.