This weekend was the best of everything. I got to spend time with friends, escape to the park and "check out" for a while, experience something completely new to me and run like crazy.
Friday night, a friend and I went bowling. It's been a long time since I last went bowling, and it definitely showed, but it was still really fun. Then, a few people came over to the house for a few games and a lot of laugh. I didn't get any sleep, but it was a great night.
Saturday, I woke up at 6 a.m. for an Advocate story. I bundled up and drove down to the Regional Science Center. It was still dark when I got there and the wind was chilly blowing across the prairie as I walked to the site. I was there to observe the bird banding, interview the students and professor and get photos and video. There were twenty or more students signed up to come, but only four showed up, so I ended up helping with the bird banding as well. It was an entirely new experience for me. Seeing these little tiny birds tangled up in this big net and trying to disentangle their little bodies and keep them warm. Holding the robins in my hand and throwing them up in the air, so they could fly away. It was an amazing experience.
Later, I grabbed my camera and my iPod and went to Lindenwood Park. I wandered around the park taking everything in: the calmness, the beautiful fall colors, the chirping of birds, the peacefulness... I took pictures of everything. It was my time to escape and "check out" of the world for a while. I cleared my head and let my mind wander as I enjoyed the quietness of the park and the liveliness of the playground.
Some days you just have to check out for a while. Turn off your phone and computer and just get away. It be cruising around in your car, taking a walk, or just sitting at a park. Take time to enjoy the beauty of life and think about all the wonderful things in your life or maybe the not so wonderful things in your life that you want to change. Take the time to reexamine your life.
