Autumn Air

I was walking in a rural part of Japan when I happened upon a river. On either bank there were trees that had started to lose their leaves to the slow changing of the seasons. There was also a man leisurely fishing. It was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The sky was overcast, and the air had just the right amount of dryness. I welcome the cool weather because Tokyo summers are brutal. I feel like this summer was the hottest of them all. My friends invited me out for barbecue several times, but the brutal heat would not let me move. I felt as if my legs, along with my spirit, had been weighed down by sand. In the cool, dry air I feel light and agile. It's like life is beginning again and I can go anywhere or do anything. It's been a while since I've been fishing. Maybe this is the perfect time for it. I live near the ocean, so fishing is easy. All I have to do is rent a boat, take some Dramamine, and go out on the sea.

This river also reminded me of some great advice I got this week from my friend, David Saylor. I wrote in a previous post that I don't like stagnation and that I feel the need to keep moving. David kindly said to me , “You don't need to keep moving. Your life is a river. All you have to do is be still, watch both banks, and record what you see.” I paraphrased a bit, but that was the gist of the message. It was a powerful reminder to be more observant of the world and to change my perspective so that I could see the world in different ways. I was also reminded to just chill TFO and enjoy the view. Thanks David!