Serenity Now
Apr 25th, 2007 by Cory
Spring has finally arrived in Baltimore, and not a moment too soon. We arrived in the middle of winter and almost immediately had to redefine our idea of cold. This past Sunday, we finally got to enjoy our rooftop deck. I took a book to read as we reclined on our lounge chairs, but I only got through a few pages. I was too distracted by the peacefulness.
The atmosphere was perfect for relaxation. The temperature hovered right at 70 degrees and the slightest breeze kept us from getting too warm in the sun. A single, feathery cirrus cloud hung lazily above us in the otherwise crystal blue sky. The serenity and silence amplified sounds I had yet to hear in Baltimore, like the bird exhausting his repertoire in a distant tree. Down the street, a neighbor climbs to her deck, spreads out the blanket she’d been clutching and collapses on it. Across the alley a 14-year old kid desperate to look tougher than he is, rummages through a pile of junk at a house being rehabbed. He empties a box of broken tile and carries to the porch to use as a drum….not a bad beat. He quickly gives up, collects his skateboard and walks sullenly down the alley, looking around to see if anyone had noticed him. A helicopter buzzes overhead. When the breeze blows just right, you can barely smell the harbor in the distance. Another bird lands on the railing in front of us, putting on a show of chatter and twittering.
Nature and peace in the middle of a modern American city.
