Time Traveler

Microseason No. 20, May 10-14

Sometimes I imagine it this way:

I am a very old woman who has travelled back in time to now.

Just to live this day again.

I’ve come back on an ordinary Tuesday to walk a familiar trail one more time.

My legs feel strong now, my breathing is easy.

Our beloved rat terrier is with me; he matches my gait, stopping often to smell things. And water them.

Oh buddy. You were The Best Dog Ever. I still love you.

How good it is to be part of this day, to feel the breeze and smell damp earth again!

Maybe if I find something interesting to photograph, I’ll have a souvenir to take with me when I leave.

The light is like a cinematic dream. I snap a photo.

A bit farther down the trail, my eye catches the edge of something white protruding from the detritus of last year’s decomposing leaves.

I stop to kneel down for a closer look, and find an unusual wildflower— Wow!—Ghost pipes! I have always loved these. So did Emily Dickinson. She pressed them in her herbarium. I’ve pressed a few in mine, as well. They turn pure black when fully dry.

Monotropa uniflora is a chlorophyll-less wildflower that receives its nourishment through an underground mycelium network delivering nutrients from the photosynthesis of a nearby tree. I saw these today: May 9, 2023

The microseasons help me develop an increased capacity for pleasure— to feel more alive— and to be surprised by small beautiful things every time I hike. I feel part of something large and transcendent, walking in an ancient forest of time.

Thou hast set my feet in a large room.

— Psalm 31

I invite you to give yourself over to this kind of noticing experiment. Pay attention to what interests you and enjoy the feeling.

It will surely lead to places you did not imagine.