The sandy trails of Torrey Pines
Pulled me in
The sandy scratching of my shoes
Causing me to notice the pine straw and yuca
Forgetting that my car and stuff
Were just a few miles away – technological advances that tempt me to get lost in them
Instead of in the sound of the waves and exquisite aloneness
Here in Torrey Pines
So I focus on my breath
Trying to drown out my to do list
And a dolphin appears off the beach
Huge
And then another
Up and down, smooth and magical to me
Unaware of my gaze from afar
And somehow deeply connected
And then gone
So I turn and continue my hike in Torrey Pines
A bit lost
But not afraid
Trusting the trail to guide me
Four miles in my plantar fasciitis begins to remind me of my age
And I curse silently
Losing my focus on beauty
And moving, instead to self-loathing
Missing the birds and old trees
There to soothe me
Would I notice them
I see a backpacker just ahead
His pace a bit slower than mine
What with the extra weight and all
While passing him I say “it’s a beautiful day for it”
And he responds “it’s paradise”
So we chat
And I slow my pace
He is training for a bucket list hike
In a place I put on my list – Fish Creek and Blair Valley
At 70
Despite his PhD in nuclear fusion
He has to put in the extra effort to be ready
Not to die on it
Not to fail at it
To enjoy it
At our parting, he is hitting another trail
And I am heading to my car
I realize the pain in my foot is gone
I’ve walked another mile yet the pain is gone
And I hear the ocean and notice the yucca
And make a note to slow down
And let the scratchy sandy sounds
A gift from Torrey Pines
Heal me.
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