09.08.08
She Loved This Place
I went for a walk in the woods…
The forest is still. It’s peaceful. It welcomes me. Walking through the woods, no iPod in my ears, I listen to the sounds of the trees, and whatever is skittering through them. On past walks, I’ve seen deer, turkey, and the largest raccoon on the planet. I’m still not sure it was a raccoon; it was as big as a man, but he was on all fours in a raccoon suit.
Today I take the road toward the dam and the lake. I pass mommies with little ones in strollers and dogs on leashes. I see daddies with little boys fishing. I overhear bits of conversations. “This is my favorite rock.” “I can do it. One step at a time. One… two….” “Thanks, sweetie.”
The lake is waveless. A few fishing boats are out, but the faint breeze is not enough to beckon the sailboats. The water is sparkling and murmurs contentment. At the end of a tiny piece of land that protrudes into the water, I park myself on a bench.
It’s a gorgeous day. I could sit here for hours doing nothing more but contemplating the world and my place in it. In the cement under my feet, I notice a bronze plaque:
Kathryn ‘Katie’ Rubendall
1949 – 2002
She Loved This Place
She loved this place. I didn’t know Katie, but I know she died young and I know she had good taste. I love this place too. It feels right that I should be sitting on Katie’s bench, lost in my thoughts. I silently thank her loved ones for placing this bench in her memory.
I watch a little boat bobbing and floating along. I need time to float. Life gets hectic and frenzied. Sometimes the best thing to do is to allow ourselves time to float; to relax, to enjoy, and to reflect on what really matters. When we’re floating, we can soak it all in with a deep sigh of satisfaction and gratitude. When we’re floating, we can think about what we really want.
Floating has its purpose, but there is a need for speed as well. Sometimes we have to go full barrel, blazing ahead with a whoop and a rush of adrenaline. Taking chances, exploring, reveling in the sensations. Feeling giddy, feeling free, feeling the moment. That happens when we take the next step toward our dreams.
We can’t float forever and we can’t race all the time. The pace of life needs balance. Serene moments coupled with joyful thrills. If all we did was float, we would never experience the extraordinary high of new accomplishments.
Laughter erupts from the family fishing on the shore. Ducks are quacking. A few cars rumble slowly over the bridge. I hear them, but I want to linger a little longer in my meditation. The lake is still and peaceful. I feel welcome.
I know that even if I sit here for hours I will never understand the complexities of the universe and my place in it. But it is good for my soul to sit on Katie’s bench and enjoy the beautiful day, and beautiful life.
When I’m gone, there will be no specific place for my bronze plaque. I love a lot of places. I love a lot of people. I love this life. I don’t want to die young. When it comes my time to leave this earth, I hope that all of those whom I love can touch their hearts and know that it reads She Loved This Place.
Kelly can be reached at kel_epperson@yahoo.com and PO Box 2324, Loves Park, IL 61131. Kelly’s book, When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes, is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, and www.whenlifestinks.com. For speaking engagements, please visit www.kellyepperson.com.
First Issue of the Joy enews – Sept 5, 2008
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With the new format, I’m calling this Issue #1. We’ll see what evolves — and I love the cool things that you share with me, so bring it on.
*Almost 10,000 miles in 6 months! I have not tired of people’s questions and double-takes. This car makes people SMILE! Just by driving around, we’re spreading the happy. How cool is that!
When Life Stinks, Find Your Joy | Kelly Epperson | PO Box 2324 | Loves Park | IL | 61131
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04.28.08
You’re Invited to Ireland June 2009
When I was in college, one of the posters in my room was a luscious green photo of Ireland. It was gorgeous, beckoning and lulling, and I was a daydreamer. Still am. One thing I have learned since college, some dreams come true.
Are you at all interested in a trip to Ireland? If even a tiny part of you said yes, read on. If not, I’ll see you back here next week.
Some of you may know P.J. Francis. His articles and photos appear in several of the newspapers that run my column. P.J. is an Irishman who has lived in the states for years. He has a desire to organize a group tour to Ireland, his homeland. He has asked me to be the tour guide!
P.J. will be the history and local lore expect. I will be the one to make sure everyone stays happy and understands P.J.’s thick accent. So…are you in? Great! Oh, you want more details? Okay, sure.
We are in the planning phase and need to know how many to plan for. The basic theme is flexibility (this will be a laid-back tour), frugality (we are all on a budget; until I hit the LOTTO jackpot), and fun (no whiner/complainers allowed).
Tentative agenda: Homebase will be Ballyvaughn, P.J.’s hometown. P.J.’s mother still lives there, but she doesn’t have room for a gaggle of giggly Americans. We’ll stay at the lovely new hotel. We will visit Galway (once a walled city and a piece of the wall is still intact), Claddagh (it’s not just a ring, it’s a fishing village), the awesome Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Coole Park and Thoore, Ballylea (home of poet W.B.Yeats).
And we’ll go to castles! And we’ll have a banquet at a castle! We’ll tour the Burren region: “An amazing place: karst limestone pavements, eroded in a distinctive pattern known as karren. This pavement is crisscrossed by cracks known as grykes and underneath the pavement, there are huge caves… dozens of megalithic tombs and celtic crosses and a ruined Cistercian Abbey from the 12th century, Corcomroe. You can find villages abandoned since famine times and green roads on which you can walk for miles without ever seeing a car.”
We can hook up with the walking club; we can borrow bicycles. Horse riding is popular. We can scooter and we can rent minibuses for day trips. There will be opportunities, but no mandates. P.J. and his wife, Helena, will regale us with tales (Why did the mayor of Galway allegedly hang his own son?). We will go to the pub and chat with the locals. Drinking Guinness is optional. Singing “Danny Boy” is strictly forbidden.
We’re thinking June 2009. That gives us all plenty of time to save our pennies. If you are at all intrigued, drop me an email or snail mail. I will add a page to my website soon with Ireland trip information, but for now, we are gathering interested parties. Cost is key, we know. We’re working on the best deal possible. If you don’t have already, get a passport, patience, and a sense of humor. And if you are someone who wants to travel, but doesn’t have someone to go with, now you do. So what do you say? (I say life is short; die broke.) Ireland is gorgeous and beckoning. Are you in?
[Contact Ceallaigh (Kelly in Irish) at kel_epperson@yahoo.com or PO Box 2324 Loves Park IL 61131. Visit www.kellyepperson.com or www.whenlifestinks.com. Hey – new book title? When Life Stinks, Take a Trip to Ireland!]
