Back to school..."a closer walk."

I began the day in my car running some errands at the height of the post-Labor Day back to school and back to work pandemonium, slowly passing many buses, crossing guards, carpools, parents, and children. Sam and Maria went back to school today, too. After the errands, I went for a long walk in the rain, confronting much of the bustle I encountered before, just in a different place. I walked past an elementary school, a middle school, Alexandria hospital, and Foxchase Shopping Center. Then, in Holmes Run Park, the scene above magically appeared before me. O peace and serenity. O manna from heaven. O quiet desolation in a day filled with words and noise. It's nice to find an oasis in a desert of distraction.

-- Pat Jones