The River

Inspired by a dream
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As he stared up at the ceiling, he knew it was time. The land of his childhood had long lost it's luster and was beginning to decay. The evergreen trees and the lush emerald hills had begun to turn to a dull brown. He had overstayed his welcome. He scoured his room, taking all he thought he might need to help him on his journey. Looking outside his window, he saw the sun beginning to set, too late to leave now. It'll have to wait until tomorrow.

He went out to the town to tell his neighbors and friends good-bye. Who knows when he might see them again. The buildings and houses in this town were from a different age, vintage, and they had slowly fallen into disrepair. The paint cracked and peeling. The roofs leaked on the rare occurrence of rain. Windows were shattered in those buildings and homes that had been abandoned and most that were undamaged were more effective at letting the weather in than keeping it out.

He walked into The Hangout, a place him and his friends had been many times growing up in this part of the world. As was typically the case, his friends were there drinking, smoking, and talking. A smile came across his face as they turned and greeted him when he walked in the door. He was typically the last one to show up.

It was just like any other night. They talked about the same topics, told the same jokes, and regaled in the same stories. This is how they liked it. This is what they wanted to do until the day they died. After a few hours of the normal routine, he let his friends know he was leaving tomorrow. His friends were amused, many wondered why he would want to leave such a great, safe place. It was the comfortable life in this town, away from the challenges and fears that lay outside of its bubble. These people were never going to leave. "Think before you leap" is what they told him. "It's very dangerous out there." "You don't know anybody outside of town, how can you survive that alone?" He expected these questions and concerns, but they did not register with him. He had grown too tired of this routine and was ready for something more. "Don't you ever wonder what it's like out there?" he asked them. "We've seen it all in books" they said. "What more do you need?" To them, the town was just like it had always been. They did not see the falling leaves, the dying grass, the fading buildings. This town was and always will be perfect. "I'm leaving tomorrow" he said "tonight is goodbye." They laughed, "You'll be back here tomorrow, you won't leave this place. This is just a phase. You'll get over it." He just smiled. This is what he expected them to say. They could and would never understand him. Maybe it's because he was born elsewhere, he had a different perspective on it all. His desire was one that couldn't be extinguished. After saying his goodbyes, which weren't taken very seriously, he left and went back to his room. He couldn't sleep, tomorrow couldn't come quickly enough.

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The sun peaked up from behind the hills in the east. Light entered his room and he popped up from his slumber. The time to go was now. He grabbed those belongings he could take with him and stepped outside his door. He turned down the trail out of town, looking behind him to take one last look at his childhood. Distant memories flooded his mind. He knew he would not be returning anytime soon. He could hear the slight commotion of those who had woken up to begin their day. He wished the townspeople well, they had been very important in his life up to this point. He never considered how hard it would be to leave them behind. Quickly he turned away from the town, he couldn't let his emotions keep him around. He had to keep moving down the trail.

Faintly a river is heard in the distance. As he walked further and further down the trail, the sound grew louder and louder. He didn't know there was a river nearby. The trail turned a corner, and to his surprise it led right into the rushing water. "What do I do now?" he said aloud. "You need to wait" said an old man seated with his back against a tree. "What?" "You need to wait for the raft. Unless you want to walk miles and miles out of your way to find another place to cross, which doesn't exist. This river is too big and too swift. You try to cross without a raft and you'll most certainly die" said the Old Man. "When will the raft arrive?" asked the Traveler. "I don't know. It comes when it comes" said the Old Man. "Are you waiting for the raft too?" asked the Traveler. "No, no I'm not. I am where I am and I don't intend to leave. I've already reached my final destination." "Where did you come from?" "I came from upriver quite a ways." "From where exactly?" "A place and time that you'll never be able to see. I imagine it's been engulfed by Time by now. It only exists in those who have experienced it. I am where I've come from and where I've been. What brings you here my son?" "I'm not sure, I'm just looking for something new" said the Traveler. "That is what brings most out to the river. Those who are looking to discover what they could never find where they came from. That's what brought me to this river many years ago." "Did you find what you were looking for?" asked the Traveler. "I would say so, mostly what I found what I did not know I was looking for." "What can I expect out there?" "I don't know, I've never been where you're going. Expect what you never thought to expect. Danger, happiness, fulfillment, and loneliness awaits. You can count on that regardless of where you go." "How dangerous is it out there?" "It can be very dangerous, no one lasts forever, but some have their journeys cut unexpectedly short. I'm lucky to have lasted as long as I have. Don't fear the danger, just be ready when it greets you along the way." "Did you have to leave loved ones behind when you left your home?" "Yes, many. That's life along the river. People come and go. Sometimes you cross paths again and sometimes you don't. At least that's my experience." "You think I'll ever see the people I'm leaving behind?" "Maybe, you can never come back to where you once were. You'll encounter the familiar, but it'll never be how you remembered it. You may stumble across those people, but you may not recognize them and they may not recognize you. The river will change you, no matter how hard you try and fight it. I say just go with it as it normally leads you to where you need to go."

Fear and sadness crept into the mind of the Traveler. it had never truly sunk in that he may not be able to return to the land of his childhood. "How will I know when I've come to where I need to be?" "I can't say, you'll just know." "So I just wait here for the raft? What if it never comes?" "Oh it'll come," said the Old Man, "you just have to be patient. In my experience, that is the hardest part. When you see that raft, waste no time as it won't wait for you for very long. I've seen many hesitate for a moment too long, only to miss it and either continue waiting or turn back and go to where they came from. You need to be as ready as you can be, sometimes you have to hop on even when you're not." The traveler put down his belongings, ready to wait as long as he needed to. "I hope it comes soon." "It'll come when you don't expect it to" said the Old Man.

They sat silently, listening to the flowing water as it combed over rocks and logs. The traveler was here to stay for now. Restlessness began to set in as day after day passed without any sign of a raft. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. The Traveler's patience was wearing thin when in the distance an unmanned raft turned a corner in the river. The traveler shot up, grabbed his belongings, and walked to the river's shore. As the raft neared, excitement grew in the Traveler as he knew his journey was just about to begin. He looked behind him, knowing that he would never see this place or the Old Man again. "Good luck my son, may we meet again at the end of your journey" called the Old Man. "Until we meet again" replied the traveler. The raft arrived and the Traveler hopped on. Quickly it left the land and took off down the river. His journey had begun.

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The waiting is the hardest part.