Eye of the Storm

A hiatus, and a lengthy one at that, it has been since I last greeted my innumerable readers with a new update. Well, wait no longer my friend, for the creative juices have returned, and the fingers have found the keyboard once more.  As has been the case before, I find myself here now due to illness.  It strikes me that illnesses are particularly conducive to writing, because they open up the entire day before you.  In an alternate universe, you would have remained the picture of health, labored at whatever it is you labor at for the length of the day, and returned home to eat, read, perhaps relax, converse with loved ones, or even a workout for the more ambitious among us. Before you know it, the day is gone and the next is about to begin.

When you are sick however, this rhythmic cycle grinds to a halt.  A bar of lead in the spokes, we shall say.  All of a sudden the hours of the day stretch out before you like the Atlantic before Columbus Now usually, I am inclined to be passive, to watch TV, or movies, or lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling, artificially prolonging my life. This time, however, the case is different. I have been reading the blog of a great friend of mine, Jason Connolly, and it has inspired me to put pen to paper once again.

In the course of this wretched illness, the idea struck me that a breath of fresh air would do the soul a bit of good.  Converting thought into action, I threw of the blankets and sallied forth into the wild blue yonder.  In more specific terms, I took a book, navigated both Park and Fifth Avenue, and found myself parked on a bench in Central Park.  Now, let me tell you, if ever a place was created for the purpose of soothing the stormy mind or body, Central Park would not be first to pop into mine.  I suppose though, that if you think of the city as a sort of static, perpetual hurricane, Central Park would be the eye.  It is calm, it removes you from the chaos, and it is green.  And so it was here that I’m quite convinced I overcame the ailments of the body, and started to feel better almost immediately. 

Not only physically, but no matter what mood you’re in, I find a stroll in the park can improve it substantially.  It makes you take a step back, slow down, and appreciate the moment, which I often find myself failing to do.  Having reached a Buddhist’s tranquility, I decided to take my profits, so to speak, and legged it for home, whereupon a dose of airborne, a good night’s sleep and sound breakfast rendered me once again my usual invincible self.

With that, I will bid thee adieu, and wish you the best,

Until next time,

Ian