And So It Is, and So It Was

And so it is, and so it was, that I set out to rediscover the past that I so loved as a child. The millions of stars that glistened up against the black velvet, that coated the, oh, so, silent night. The crispness in the air that was so rich, one could almost drink it like a cool refreshing glass of water after a long hot day in the heat of July. The tugging of the fishing line as the bobber disappeared down into the blackness of the icy lake water below the aluminum fishing boat, which swayed like a comfortable hammock with every ripple that glanced up against her sides. The being able to see forever as one looked out to the horizon from the highest hillside and see nothing but what God had intended the land to be, and that was beauty in the purest sense of the word. The deep greens, and the light greens that blended together like a magnificent patchwork on a quilt sewn by the hands of nature herself. The wild life that never seemed to end, from the deer and the bear that roamed freely underneath the safety of the lush green canopy, to the birds and squirrels that lived high above the fertile ground below. The streams, and rivers, that pulsated with life through the densest parts of the forest, bringing life to the living thing that it was, and will always be. The place was and still is a place almost lost in time itself. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a place where man hasn’t had much of a hand in disfiguring its beauty as he has had in almost every other corner of these, United States of America. The land has been left to bathe in its natural beauty. No theme parks, no over grown cities, no major industry to pollute its waters, no overcrowding of the population to push out into the many pristine forests that spill into one another. It is a place of slow paced living. What can be done today, can be done just as easily tomorrow. That is what seems to be the unspoken motto. It is a thing of beauty, in this fast paced blur of a world we share. To actually have a moment or two to catch one’s breath without feeling guilty about not doing this or not doing that, is as rare as digging a hole in one’s backyard and finding a flawless five carat diamond wrapped up in a gift box lying in the bottom of it. Some things just shouldn’t be, but they are. Peace was what I was in search of. The city life back in, Detroit, was something that I needed a break from. There was also a rough and bitter divorce from my wife of fifteen years that was something that I needed to get away from. Too many memories, around every street corner, let alone the friends and family who would look at me with those pitiful eyes of theirs. It left me feeling like a dog on his way to the pound. It seems the only ones left smiling after a divorce are the lawyers. It was a breath of fresh air when I crossed the Mackinaw Bridge. I could feel the strings that were holding me back sever as I crossed that bridge. My heart instantly grew lighter as I managed my first grin in weeks. It is odd how a structure made of cold steel and cement, could leave me feeling so warm and comfortable inside as I crossed its length. Looking back now, I guess the crossing of the bridge was some sort of symbol to me. Leaving the cancer of a life behind and feeling the healing of something totally different on the opposite shore line of Lake Michigan. It was nice watching the lower half of Michigan disappear in my rearview mirror. The sky was getting bluer up ahead. The ride along U.S. 2 was a quiet one. With its two lane road that cut its way through the surrounding forest as it snaked way it’s toward my destination. My heart rate had slowed and the twitch in my right eye had left me. I was going to be up there for a while and nothing could have felt better. With the trucks windows open, I could feel the wind rushing in and it smelled pure and clean. It’s funny how something pure and clean can have a smell to it, but it does. It is the smell of everything good in life, before man has a chance to spoil it and leave one gasping for oxygen like a drowning man going down for the third time. I breathed in deeply and enjoyed it as if it were a fine glass of wine. I was nearing my destination and nothing could have felt more right, I mean what could possibly go wrong?