What lies ahead

Early December is a busy time, so when I’m sick, I just pretend I’m not. I can’t afford to miss class because my students are giving presentations. I’ve got deadlines to meet and projects to complete. I stumble through the day and then collapse at night. I don’t recommend this strategy for anyone with a bad cold or flu, but it’s the reality of early December.

After a night of fevered coughing, I got out of bed this morning to take my youngest child to school. Breathing in the cold, moist air felt good on my sore lungs. I haven’t felt much like writing on my blog this week, so I figured I’d stop and take a photo, so long as I was awake in the early morning light. Traintrack Village is full of Christmas decorations, so I thought maybe I’d take a picture of something cheery.

But instead, as I came back along the traintracks, a route I travel every single day, I decided to snap a photo of the tracks. I’ve lived somewhere near these tracks all my life. They’ve always been there. I like that they curve. I never know a train is approaching until I hear the whistle and feel the rumbling. As I stood in the cold winter air, wondering when we’re going to get some snow, I looked down the tracks and wondered what might be coming along them next.