What a beautiful balmy day it is today! We’ve had enough of a cold snap in upstate NY-a series of sub 32 degree nights, to shock the trees into flamboyant displays of color. The mountains are mantled in deep russets and fiery oranges, gold and incandescent pinks. But it is warm enough to walk without a sweater, and the sky is deep blue.
Lucy and I ambled with our faces tilted upwards, and we caught leaves as they fluttered by us in darting shoals like downward swimming fish. It’s hard to catch a leaf on the wing, as it were. You have to fix on one and chase it, otherwise you get muddled by too many falling aslant and twisting away from your grasping fingers. But I managed to trap two finally. We kissed them and made wishes and threw them back into the air. Are we only the ones who do this?
Sometimes I feel as if I am always wishing on something. The Ian McEwan book I am reading right now says something about how people who believe in magical thinking, or manifesting their destiny, or superstitious rituals, are egocentric beings, imagining that they can impact and force change according to their own selfish desires. I like to believe that I can dream big and project forwards to a desired goal and then slowly consciously and unconsciously and sub consciously work towards that goal. So far it’s worked for me just fine.
And taking a break to catch leaves probably keeps my head in a better place.
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3 thoughts on “CATCHING LEAVES”
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The kids and I used to do this in Battersea Park. We were the only ones doing it and looked like nutters. A few times we would be concentrating so hard on looking upwards that we’d bash into each other. It was so much fun though.
It is ridiculous fun isn’t it? The great thing about having kids is that you can do silly things with them and onlookers (hopefully) will just be saying “look at that mom having fun with her children” rather than “look at that old lady acting the fool.”
Something else I’ve noticed- a fundamental difference between adults and children.
Adults stand still to catch leaves whereas children run all over the place like mad things, tipping their heads back, screaming and falling about in convulsions on the ground.
Note to grown-ups- try the running- around- headless chicken thing at least once. It’s extremely good for the morale. Everyone over the age of 15 should occasionally do something undignified.