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The Walk

A Cleansing of the Soul

By Mellie MillerPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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The Walk
Photo by Josh Carter on Unsplash

Have you ever just had one of those days? One of those days that starts off badly and simply won’t turn itself around?

Yeah?

Today is one of those days for me. When I woke up, I felt great. Five minutes later and the day was total crap and going downhill.

After the clean up and sorting of the details, I had a good cry and tried to get ready for my day.

I hadn’t even had coffee yet.

And I needed a walk.

Some days you know you should take a walk. So you get out the shoes and socks, grab the walking stick and sunglasses, and head out the door. You’re not really feeling it, but you know it’s what you should do.

Other days, you want to take a walk. The sun is shining, the world is a glorious place, and you just can’t wait to get out there and search for that beautiful hidden gem you know is waiting to be seen.

Other days, you need a walk. You don’t want it. You need it. You have to get out of the house, out of your own head, and get into nature where perhaps you’ll be able to escape the traps waiting for you at home.

No, not real traps, but those mental and emotional traps just waiting to spring when you least expect them.Those traps which will trigger an emotional breakdown unless you find a way to offload some of that stress and tension first.

And today, I need a walk.

Unfortunately, the walk I need can’t be found where I live, here in the American Southeast. The walk I need is almost 2000 miles away in a place I once knew well. That is the walk I need.

High up near the continental divide, I need to hike to the top of the mesa and reach out to the deep blue sky. I need to breathe in the crisp, thin air found out there, at around 7000 in elevation, and let it cleanse my spirit of this heaviness I feel.

I need to look out across the vastness and marvel at the stark beauty of the land, the serene emptiness which soothes my soul. Out there where the eagles soar high above me and the antelope and elk herds browse across the wilderness is where I need to be.

Later, in the late afternoon chill, I could build a small fire to keep warm and wait for the spirits to speak to me from the smoke and the flames. I could contemplate the teachings of the elders, as I toss sage onto the coals of the fire and watch the smoke rise toward heaven.

And I could ask for the guidance of the Great Spirit to help me in these troubled times. and wait for the answer on the wind, in the flames, or from the cry of the birds or howl of the wolf,

Before nightfall, I would carefully douse the fire and ease my way back down the mountainside, with a new sense of purpose and freedom. My spirit would be lifted and I would be at peace with the world.

But I can’t take that walk today. Not literally. So I’ll make do with a walk down the country roads and lanes around me. And later, as I sit with the cats in front of the fire, I’ll light some incense and drop down into a deep meditation, where I’ll walk those other paths, gaze into another fire, and commune with vastness of the universe in my dreams.

happiness
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About the Creator

Mellie Miller

Wife, mother, animal lover, musician, martial artist, writer of fantasy romance with a touch of magic-- I have seven books on Amazon as Mellie and another one as Sultonna Nadine. The cat approves.

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