Simplicity
April 9th
I am a simple man with simple needs and wants.
…
Sorry, I had to stop writing to pick up my jaw from the floor — I had no idea I can write such a bald-faced lie. My needs and wants are multiple, all-encompassing, and usually sophisticated. So let me start again —
I am a simple man who doesn’t need much to feel happy and be content with a passing day. Ok, that is much better. And I feel and am better after a walk in my forest.
The last days and weeks were really taxing on my mental health. I needed a distraction, even if just for a short while, to gather myself to be able to face upcoming problems. I wasn’t particularly keen on going on a hike today, but I forced myself to put on my hiking boots and just go. And boy, did I need those boots. Last week, after 30 days with no rain, finally there was a lot of precipitation. And even in a variety of forms — snow, sleet, and rain. Nature sorely needed it, but it also turned my forest into a wetland.
Most of the pathways become muddy, slippery, and unpassable. Well — unpassable if you care for your shoes. Since I had my old hiking boots on, I soldiered on through the mud and water and broken branches and dirt. Slipping (or trying not to) was a big problem. I left my walking stick at home, so I had to be careful. But I am happy that I got back home in one piece. And the boots are already in the washing machine, getting clean for the next hike.
Along the way, I saw plenty of birds — woodpeckers, blackbirds, jays, magpies, and tits. There were squirrels running up and down the trees. There were some frogs already croaking, ready for the mating season. I think I even saw a pheasant — but it was so quick, running away from my sight, that I am not 100% sure. Somewhere in the middle of all that, I stopped for a long while and just stood there listening to birds singing and chirping. I had no need for anything more in the world and in my life. Even if just for a few minutes.
As every spring, in north-east Poland, the first flowers to bloom are anemones (windflowers). They are already carpeting the forest floor, but in a week or two, they will cover every space between the trees. I am waiting for this as a sign and the symbol that spring is officially here. My head is clear now, my mind is resting in an easy composure. I feel well; I feel better than yesterday — I guess that might be a good goal for the future. That every new day will be (even just slightly so) better than the previous one.
