The Peculiar Norm

*Blog originally written on July 31st*

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LIFE UPDATE : For the past month, I've only uploaded one blog. I went on a trip to Atlanta which didn't leave for much chance to write. So for the past while, I've been struggling to get back into a consistent writing/blogging routine. I can't give an estimate as to how often I'll be able to blog, but I can say that I'll be starting a weekly book blog series. The first blog WILL be up this next Monday, the 13th of August.

Now onto the topic of the blog: "The Peculiar Norm."

About a month ago I took another step into adulthood and got a job! Now, I'm settling into my daily routines: work on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; my weekend is Sunday through Tuesday. For my weekend - the past few days, today included - I've made daily trips to the park. Only a five minute walk away, it offers some peace to my mind. It's interesting how much slower life feels when you take the time to just sit by the river.

Last Thursday, on my day off between work days, my dad and I spent a few hours of the day together. We started off by grabbing breakfast at our local diner, where he ordered a platter called The Zeppelin, and I got a cinnamon roll that was about the size of my face. Later, my dad made a detour on our way home, parking the car where we had a good view of the river.

The only sound we could hear was the river, and our own voices. The river is just across the park from Main Street which cuts through our small town, but it's all so small that it's like being out in the wilderness. Our stay was only about twenty-minutes long, but in that time we spotted an Eagle chasing an Osprey. A few minutes later a Crane flew just over the river, it's wings tapping the surface.

Sitting there made me realize how easy it can be to get away from everything. A vacation from the hustle and bustle of everyday life may take a while to earn your way to, but a simple getaway with the promise of a moments peace can mean the world. If it means taking a drive on the countryside, hiking a mountain trail, or sitting in the park, do it. If it brings you peace, do it. It is always worth it.

As I write this, I realize I went on a tangent from the title of my blog. But I named this blog "The Peculiar Norm" because I realized that every time I've come down to the park, I feel like others would laugh. I guess it's the reality of how much less time people spend outside in their free time anymore in comparison to even a decade ago.

Currently, I'm laying on my side as I write these words in my notebook to type later. It's a warm, Tuesday afternoon. A couple is walking the park, a young girl sits on the cement bench which borders the entrance to the park. I can here the water fountain splashing, the chatter of the mid-day farmer's market, and the occasional car on Main Street. My phone is playing one of my favorite film albums (Begin Again). I'm laying underneath a pine tree which gives the perfect shade for the few hours I spend here on every visit. The bees have been kind in keeping their distance; the now-dead spider could've learned from them.

This little slice of Heaven-on-Earth is home. It took big personal steps, and the growing independence in me when deciding to make the move here. There's small shreds of fear that I'm slowly but surely becoming my own person; a separate being from my parents. The fact that in about a year and a half to two years, I'll be moved out on my own.

But. For now. I'll be that girl in town that visits the park for hours at a time; the one with the dark blue, patterned blanket spread in the grass; the one with the pen scrawled notebook, and stack of literature because I can never choose just one book to bring with me.

Until I leave the park, I'll be writing, reading, and bird-watching.