Pages

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Small Stone #31

The setting sun gilds office buildings, scattering streaks of golden light across frost-nipped streets.
oo0oo

So, there it is. Thirty-one days of small stones. I have no idea if I adhered to the letter of what these small stones should have been, but I'd like to believe I came close to capturing the spirit.

In this January, when I ventured alone across 2,000 miles of this country the necessity to pay attention, to see, to hear, to reflect — in all its meanings — inherent in the small stone challenge served as a way to focus me.

The word "alone" in the above sentence conjures up images of a lone man, supported only by his wits, braving the unknowns of the journey. A pretty image but, were it to apply to me, I'd be traveling yet, lost to all, wandering like a comet seen in passing every so many years.

I ventured out alone 'tis true, but supported by much technology — a GPS system so the car could yell at me when I deviated from the defined path, satellite radio so I could listen to Gregorian Chant on a Sunday morning as I left Flagstaff, AZ or country music to travel by as I skirted Amarillo, TX, a cellphone connected to my car's speaker and microphone system to I could remain in contact as and when along the day, along the miles, my other cellphone that's really a camera with a cellular radio attached so I could capture images of the high desert or a Kansas sunset and send them into the ether, my laptop so I could, late of an evening, see the face of my beloved on the screen as we spoke.

Now, how's that for a run-on sentence?

Alone yes, but hyper-connected — which isn't all bad.

6 comments:

  1. Congratulations on a goal well met.
    ~jon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks, Jon. This was an interesting challenge. I'm glad I managed to keep up.

      Delete
  2. I think it was wonderful! Rules? What are those?
    Now, are you going to sign up for the A to Z? :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Laura. Yeah, rule and I don't really get along all that well.

      As to the A to Z challenge...no comment as of yet.

      Delete
  3. It makes me so happy you had fun and finished this challenge. I have my own small stones all in a bunch up on my blog now, but wanted to drop by your place again and tell you how much I admire that you've written these during this time of moving across the country. I thought of you several times when I felt like I couldn't write one word! And then, wrote just the same.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Estrella, I;m glad my small stones helped you in any way at all. I'll be dropping by your blog shortly to read through yours.

      The challenge helped, as I said. It helped me stop and see, which is what it was all about.

      My best to you.

      Delete