Courage!

This morning I woke up feeling like the human I was intended to be. And despite the multiple sad and bad things going on in the world, it was time to get up and take a real walk, farther than the edges of my yard, though maybe not past the graveyard. Yet.

The sun hadn't crested the hills for me yet and it was quiet, except for birdsong (do you know that in a very well respected book on birds of the West Indies, our roosters are termed Junglefowl? So much more exotic). I wasn't really looking for anything; rather, just enjoying the sensation of walking and not coughing at the same time. I try not to multi-task if at all possible...

I put aside thoughts about Japan and business and drought and just moved to the soft beat of the water lapping along, birds darting about, the sky going from subtle pink to flaming orange. A few people drove by, two offered me rides and it was nice to be going nowhere in particular. Which is the hallmark of a good walk, in my view. It was still cool, almost chilly. It was perfect.

Turning back for home the brand new light was bathing the hills. I thought about the views from up on those hills, where I've woken up many a morning housesitting. How, depending on the vantage point, the world can look so very different, even on a small island like Culebra. And how beautiful most of those vantage points are.

It's good to be alive. It's good to be healthy again. It's good to take a walk on a beautiful morning. Sometimes courage isn't risking a life. Sometimes it is just living a life. And that's how Monday is looking so far.

Have a mellow Monday. Do something moving.