Monthly Archives: September 2019

#BeingHere

Recently someone back in Kansas City messaged and asked, among other things, “what it is like living in a park?”  I pondered for a delicious while, but I could only think of one genuine response:  “Exactly like you would think.”

The spiders merrily spin their webs over my succulents, the side of my house, and the stair rail on my porch.  I splash water and wield a broom,  striving to keep pace with their earnest endeavors.  I don’t mind their efforts; everyone needs a place to gather their resources and rest on a warm afternoon.  Overnight, the Delta winds barrage my walk with shards from the trees, splinters of leaves, and scatterings of petals from wildflowers in the meadow.  I sit with my coffee in the rocking chair and smile.

On evenings when I feel strong enough, I stroll the perimeter of the  five acres on my side of the park.  Halfway around, I close my eyes and let the breeze wash over me.  The willows rise into the tender sky.  The air carries a soft scent of grass mixed with the heady fragrance of river silt.  No perfume from the finest counter in the cities of Europe could please me more.

I cut across on the footbridge and climb the hill behind my house.   I pause halfway to study the row of tiny houses, remembering its skeletal appearance when I first arrived.  Now a half-dozen tiny houses flank my home on either side.  The fullness of the summer trees shade us; the meadow forms our backyard.  

What’s it like living in a park?  Being here feels like home to me.

It’s the second day of the sixty-ninth month of My Year Without Complaining.  Life continues.

Angel’s Haven sits on the far right in this photo.

 

 

Don’t forget, KC folks: 

I’ll be in town this week for my Birthday Bash & Benefit for Rose Brooks Center.  Check it out on Facebook HERE.  05 September 2019, 6pm to 9pm, at Prospero’s upstairs venue,  on 39th Street in Kansas City, Missouri.  If you can’t make the event, but want to donate to the cause, you can find Rose Brooks Center HERE.  Tell them it’s in honor of my birthday.  Our contact is Katy McCoy.  Or give to an agency of your choice which helps survivors of family violence. 

If you or someone you know needs help dealing with family violence, you can get it HERE.  There’s always a way.