YESTERDAY

A blank white page.  What will I muse about?  Yesterday.  I very much liked yesterday.  The sea-saltiness hanging in the air.  The gentle rippling water, and the sun hitting it, causing an endless sea of paparazzi.  Little bits of magic – shining…shimmering…splendid!  My feet gently crunching the vibrantly green grass, wishing to feel the coolness of the waves kissing the shore.  The blockade of sharp rocks tells me to just watch from a distance.  It’s sunny with a high of 85 tonight.  But I don’t mind.  The air is so free and calm, with an occasional blustery gust of wind…strong yet gentle at the same time.   

I’m waiting for the sun to set.  I’ve been out here all day, and the breeze feels nice on my sun-kissed shoulders.  I’m soaking in the sights and sounds tonight.  An occasional shriek from a child enjoying the last Sunday evening before the new school year commences.  The rushing noise of a bicycle recklessly speeding past me.  The well-mannered dogs out for a stroll with their humans.  The frequent creepy crawling and flying things trying to share my slices of pizza.  The steady flow of traffic in the distance, despite the local construction that never seems to be done.  Like the sun on the water, I’m reflecting on past memories here.  Happy memories that are steadily trickling through my mind and tugging at the heart strings.  The blinding sun isn’t the only thing making my eyes water tonight.  

This is one of the most familiar and peaceful places for me.  It’s home.  And I love watching the sunset.  It’s my favorite sight in nature.  You always know it’s going to happen, but every night the sky will surprise you with a vast array of colors.  It’s consistent, but it’s random at the same time.  I find satisfaction in juxtaposition and paradox, and sunsets are a magical display of these ideas.  The sun is still too bright to look at directly, but I can be patient.  Several boats are jetting by, leaving a stream of white foam in their wake.  The noise of the motors sounds peaceful on my ears as the boats are being pushed forward at a high speed.  Speed?  Not for me.  I’d rather soak in the moments and drift off to sleep on the water.  Living in the present has been the hardest art for me to learn.  When you spend your life rushing ahead to the next thing, you end up constantly look back, longing for yesterday.  Nostalgia and sentiment are my best friends and worst enemies.  How I often long for yesterday.  I’m still waiting for yesterday to just show up one day, but like the setting sun, tomorrow is always on the horizon.  The memories always seem to be fonder and sweeter once they’re gone.

A wise man once said, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them.”  That sentiment makes me want to tarry a bit on every moment I experience.  Yesterday will never come back.  I need to learn to make the most of today before it joins the other yesterdays.  Oh, hello there little dragonfly.  Where are you off to in such a hurry?  The crickets have started chirping.  And now, at long last, I have nothing but the sun in my eyes.  It’s a glorious ball of orange goodness.  Familiar, but different.  It’s like someone picked a giant marigold, set it on fire, and placed it up in the sky to burn out in front of my eyes.  Pictures just don’t do it justice.  It is indescribably beautiful.  How I wish I could freeze this celestial fireball.  It’s here for just a little while, and then it’s gone.  I close my eyes and listen close; it’s like I can hear the chapter close.  It’s all rebound in newer clothes, and I hope I like the way this story goes.  ‘Cuz the sun still burns the shadows out, and there’s nothing to complain about right now.  I’m still whole, and life will remain beautiful.  If only there was a big bunch of balloons to whisk me away into the sky and make this the perfect night…

Yesterday, well…that was a dream.  But I always believe in yesterdays.

Special thanks goes to Relient K for the use of some of their song lyrics which I generously sprinkled throughout this blog. Thanks also to The Beatles, YESTERDAY, The Office, and Aladdin.

August 4-6, 2019