Today was fantastic. It was one the most productive, exciting, and relaxing days I’ve had in a while. I got out of International Security class and headed straight for Pony Pastures. I made a slight detour to drop off some dry cleaning that was LONG overdue but made it there nonetheless. It was a beautiful day and, naturally, the place had many visitors. The white noise of the water seemed to drown out any conversation so that even a couple sitting 20 feet away was inaudible; their lips moving but no sound reaching my ears.
The trash at Pony Pasture wasn’t incredibly extensive; the place really just needed a little tidying up. Amid my trash-picking-up venture, I found myself completely dazed by the water’s constant flow and mesmerizing nature. I found a rock and basically just stared off into the distance. It’s almost impossible to visit the river and not be drawn into it. Fast forward 15 mins, and my walk continued. It wasn’t long until I ran into an elderly couple, probably in their 60s, walking towards me. We made eye contact from about 20 yards away and they didn’t let go until we were feet from each other. It would have been weird in other circumstances, but they looked quite nice and reminded me of my own older relatives.
“What’s your name son?”
It started from there and we must have talked for nearly a half an hour. Him and his wife have been coming to the river for years. Since retiring (probably in the past 10 years) they have tried to make daily trips to the river. They were very interested in my life, which sounds way cooler when you spill it all out to people who really seem to care. The river brought us together, and I’m so happy I was able to get to know Benjamin & Leslie. It was an incredible day. I picked up some more trash, stared off into the water a bit more, and then headed back to the Richmond bubble. As I’ve said before, the mix is good.