It's actually called "Swimming 2," and when it arrives, I will-- rather, someone will-- hang it. My hope is that it will cast its spirit over Poet's Corner, my new home. (Pegge Hopper)
Why did I choose it as the anchor and soul of Poet's Corner?
Maybe because of the cocktail of thoughts and emotions it triggers in me when I am in its presence: calmness, anti-PLS, peace, quiet, letting go, home, majesty, to name a few. Did I say anti-PLS?
And as those of you who've read 'Into the Water' know, the water is a magical place for me now-- one of the few places, if not the only place, that I am physically free.
On to a few more data points from early days at Poet's Corner.
Grab bars. You know, the ones installed for the disABLEd, in bathrooms and showers mainly. I was SO elated when a crew arrived this morning to install a few more of them for me! I used to ignore them; I don't think I even noticed them. But now, for me they are an essential interior design feature. How the lens changes...
The doors. The heavy doors. The very heavy doors! Have you ever tried to open a heavy door (like a Starbucks door) with a walker, sans balance, stability, and any sort of coordination? And don't forget the threshold under the door, which is basically a hurdle to negotiate as the door (the very heavy one) is pushing to keep you out or rather, doesn't seem satisfied until you are flat on the ground! Talk about resilience, perseverance and being in the moment! The door, I mean.
The door of which I speak is the main entrance door to my building. The management company has graciously offered to install electronic doors for me. My unit is ADA-approved (American Disabilities Act, 1990), and management has been very responsive to my "Reasonable Accommodation" requests (It's a thing). Every accommodation is huge to me! So fortunate, for real.
I hear the hoot of owls and the neigh of horses in the deep of night. I love that.
Roads. Rural roads. Many roads around me are bucolic and winding. In fact, I used to ride my bike on some of these roads 25-30 years ago. In the twelve days I've been here, I have taken a few drives to get lost and explore the area. It is an incredible area to cycle. Several times, I'll be driving on a winding back road and get a flashback-- a deja vu: "I know this road! I know that farmhouse! There is a small private airport up here where we used to stop for coffee! I used to love flying down this road!"
And then, for a moment, my heart breaks.
I am greeted by the following words when I enter Poet's Corner:
Do what you can
with what you have
where you are.
(Theodore Roosevelt)
______
I will always have hope.
(Psalm 71:14)
B L A C K L I V E S M A T T E R
"...A racism-free upbringing is not possible, because racism is a social system embedded in the culture and its institutions. We are born into this system and have no say in whether we will be affected by it..."
(Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility)