I watched them for a minute as they walked in perfect stride with one another -right, left, right, left. I saw that they were holding hands and I thought to myself, what an adorable couple. I noticed they were wearing matching track pants in royal blue, and I couldn't help but smile. But they were walking oh-so slow. For every step they took, I had to shuffle my feet so as not to step on their heels. I was starting to feel antsy; after all, I had places to be, things to get done. Just as I was about to walk onto the grass and bypass them, something stopped me. I don't know why exactly, but I decided to slow my pace down -to just go with their flow.
At first it was hard, kind of like trying to keep your car at the speed limit of 40 mph when there's no one else on the road. But then I started looking around me. A squirrel eyed me mischievously before running up a tree. A large monarch butterfly fluttered its wings as it danced in the air, enticing me to follow it. I listened to the symphony of birds and the wind as it rustled the leaves and branches. It really was a beautiful day.
I counted over two dozen varieties of trees -all of different shapes, hues and heights. There was this one that had what looked like fishing nets dangling from its branches, something that could have been plucked straight out of a tropical island. And then there were the flowers. Bright fuscia petals and vivid orange wisps that looked like dragonflies; purples and blues and reds of all sorts; stark whites and shades of yellows.
I noticed the houses in a way I hadn't before, all those countless other times I'd walked down the street. I had always thought the mismatched houses, with their clashing styles, created a confusing sight to passersby. But today I was walking much slower than my body was used to. Now there was the opportunity to witness in a sort of slow motion, allowing me to focus on details. I saw the designs, the structures, the landscaping, the windows and the doors. Each dwelling had its own signature story to tell. Instead of a hodgepodge, I now recognized how beautiful each was in its uniqueness.
I became so lost in my surroundings, that I had almost forgotten about the couple walking in front of me. I looked up and they were now several blocks ahead of me. I could barely make them out, but I saw the dark blue pants and knew it was them. I looked at the space between their bodies -and they were still holding hands.
