Somewhere I Belong

Living in Boone, North Carolina there was a certain spot that I would go to every now and then. I found this spot several years ago and continued to go because, even on the prettiest days, no one else ever found it. It was my place to be alone, to think, and just to get away from everything.

This was where I went to make all of the important decisions. It was also my place to write; most of the time I wasn’t actually writing about anything of significance. Still, there was this simple solitude that comforted me.

This place wasn’t very far off the beaten path. I could even see my car from the rock I would sit on, but the little nook in the forest offered solace to my weary mind. The stream whispers to the forest and I would sit and listen in, soaking up every word. The shouting in my head was muffled, if not completely silenced.

I would look out at the mural of green, brown, and grey, and marvel at God’s artwork. Rocks would jet out of the stream just to be layered into boulders. It always amazed me how powerful such a small body of water could be to cut out and meander its way through a mountain. That same body of water moved my soul. It was my inspiration, my muse. Anytime I left that place I left energized, anew, full of faith. I started seeing the world for what it is; a beautiful masterpiece. The clouds, all of the sudden, weren’t so dark and the rain, well that would pass, the way it always did.

Anytime I would forget the meaning of life I would go back to my spot to be reminded. The subtle truth to the question that has plagued humanity for centuries is simple. The meaning of life is to appreciate it. Something about that place just helped me to connect to that truth. It may have been the clean air, the serenity, or even the solitude; I’ll never really know.

I no longer live in Boone, but I still make the pilgrimage to my little spot. Although, not as often as I would have liked to, if I had to admit it. One day, the sad truth is, I won’t be able to go back to that place. When that happens, I suppose I’ll just have to find another place in the world to find my place in the world.