River Reflection #2

I stepped out into the cold, shivered and said to myself, “Alright I should probably make this quick, I have a lot to do and my sister’s waiting in the car.” Not the best mindset going into a “reflection.” As I began walking down the trail however, I realized I was nearly directly across the river from the location of my first river reflection. I began to think back to what was going through my mind over two months ago. Last time I sat down in a little opening in the woods, looking across the river at apartment buildings and listening to the music coming from Woodshed and thinking about being on the other side with all the people. Now I was with all the people, looking out at the mysterious woods.

                Could I have guessed what was behind that line of trees if I hadn’t already been there before? What would I have thought if I had come to this side first? Would I have wanted to be on the quieter, more secluded side instead? The last time I had done a reflection was right after a busy couple weeks and I was able to unwind and relax. This time, I was in the midst of studying for finals, and gearing up for one of the most important and stressful weeks of the semester. In a sense, the calm before the storm.

                Still, I was able to find peace at a bench and began to soak it all in. This side of the river was much busier. Bikers and runners passed by me every couple minutes; I was surprised at how many people were on the trail for a chilly Tuesday afternoon. A couple were talking on a bench inside the Woodshed as the song “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn and John played in the background. I sang the tune in my head as I gazed out over the water. It was peaceful.

                I noticed there were many birds flying around and in the trees across the river. They were no small birds either, probably some sort of crane but I am no avian expert. Hundreds of them were gathered in the trees, and all the sudden they began to take off in waves. Not many were flying away though; most just circled overhead. It wasn’t as eerie as it sounds though. It was actually quite the sight, except for the fact that I considered leaving that spot out of fear of becoming a landing zone for bird excrement.

                Across the river on the opposite, the trees were bare and pale with the changing of the seasons. Some of the trees lurched out over the water as if they were reaching out to pick up something just below the surface.

                As I began to walk back, I passed a mother with her two small children. One was a little girl no more than three years old and was all layered up with a little pink hat on and was just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I wondered what was going through her head at that age. She probably didn’t have a care in the world, while I’m sitting here freaking out about the thought of finals. I really have enjoyed my life and my experiences and the memories I’ve made but sometimes I wish I could go back to being a little kid where you had literally nothing to worry about besides what mom packed you for lunch or if you were going to be home in time to watch your favorite cartoon.

                These two river reflections have been the most rewarding assignments for me this semester. They came at pretty contrasting times; the first was after a couple week of difficult tests and papers and I was able to rewind and relax, while this time I was gearing up for finals and needed to brace myself for the rough two weeks ahead. Regardless, both times I was able to reflect on everything and also let my mind get away from whatever was worrying me, and I see myself continuing to do this next semester.