In This Place

by Kristin Conroy I am alone but not lonely. My surroundings are still and tranquil; the only soundtrack is the gentle lapping at the water’s edge and the slight stirring of leaves caressed by the wind. My mind is now tuned in to Channel Zen. I am drawn to the water by the way the light dances off its surface in a mesmerizing and undeniable performance. I slowly but steadily enter the water, and in doing so, have symbolically freed myself from the intangible chains of my past and jumped into my chosen reality. I can be me here, my true and unfettered self. There is no one to impress or convince or avoid. My thinking is clear and grounded like never before. Quandaries, tossed back and forth in my head in a game of ping-pong for many months, are suddenly stationary and a clear winner is triumphantly announced. Nothing is clouding my judgement, there are no impossible positions in which to be forced, no responsibilities or constrictions. No need for ass-kissing or compromises or having to be less than I am for the sake of harmony. Nature encourages me to be exactly who I am, to do what I feel, and to be present in the moment. This is what I know to be true. This place has shown me who I am, and now I can never go back to the way things were. I can’t be who I was, I can only be who I am now. In this moment. In this place.