Free to be Me

I am rejoicing today because of events of the past couple of days. My husband actually took me to Potato Creek State Park on Friday for a two-hour bike ride. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a gorgeous day--leaves turning bright yellows and reds, the weather spectacular with skies of blue. Pleasant people conversed with me along the bike path. I was in my element with nature lovers who are on my frequency.....or freakuency as the case may be. I wore my clodhopper Ariats for comfort, with my pedal pusher short pants (jogging attire). I’m sure I looked ridiculous. Ariats are a sturdy, hiking type shoe that I bought for working in the Culver stable....a job that never materialized. If I looked odd on my nerd-mobile, my forest green Trek comfort bike that I have become re-acquainted with since my foot injury, I could not have looked any stranger than the grey-bearded intellectual on cross-country roller blades. I never heard of such a sport before.....roller skates and poles, just like cross-country skiing. He was moving right along on the park road, enjoying the beautiful nature-scape. The lake was shimmering in the sunshine. Aspens were trembling.

This park seems to attract the nicest people. I feel safe there. Maybe I will get brave and go for hikes and bike rides alone, since it is a rare occasion when I can get my husband or other family member to accompany me. Pat was kind to do this for me, since he is generally bored with this activity. He would rather be hunting or fishing with his buddies. He does not like fishing here because he seldom catches anything and cannot use his motorboat. I am happy that they do not allow noisy motorboats, just electric trollers. This park is so very peaceful. It does me a world of good whenever I go....and I should go more often. It is only about 30 miles from home and a pleasant country drive past Koontz Lake, Walkerton, and North Liberty.

I am free to be me..... since I stopped obsessing about my lack of fellowship and lack of a “normal” life. I am rejoicing that I do not have to worry about what to wear to shul or church, since I attend neither, nor obsess about setting a perfect Shabbat table, since I have no guests (and find fault with rabbinic stringencies anyway.) I am breathing easy now....free to be the real me.....somewhat eccentric....appreciative of God’s creation, enjoying the friendship of God, which is the pearl of great price.

I love my bike. I have been riding it in lieu of walking for the past month here in my own woods due to my foot injury (broken toes). It traverses trails easily and I find I can ride it slowly and meditate on my thoughts, enjoying the scenery, just as if I were walking. Speaking of walking, I finally was able to walk on my trails yesterday after more than a month of hobbling around in pain. It seemed like the pain left suddenly the other day and I realized I was walking normally in the house without favoring my left foot. So I tried walking on the quarter mile trail and there was no discomfort. I was ecstatic. I had been concerned that I might not enjoy walking ever again due to this injury. Pat hurt his feet playing church softball too competitively years ago and has had bad feet since, impairing his ability to enjoy going for walks. I was so grateful to God that I could walk again. I had to go around the loop a second time out of sheer bliss, finally able to clear some of the secondary trails of branches that had come down over these past weeks. Mobility is a great gift of God. To walk....what a blessing! I think the bike riding helped restore circulation to my feet, promoting healing. My feet seem stronger than ever.

Thought: I wonder who atheists thank for their blessings....memes? To have a heart full of thanksgiving and no one to thank.....seems like a missing link there somewhere.

I saw a milkweed plant on one of my bike rides. Reminded me of the book, Milkweed.

Just checked the news online as I write this....a jolt back to reality.....

The week ended as the Dow's worst ever, with the index down an incredible 40.3 percent since its record close almost exactly one year earlier, on Oct. 9. 2007.

Investors suffered a paper loss of $2.4 trillion for the week, as measured by the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 index, and for the past year the losses have totaled $8.4 trillion.

Maybe I agree with the Islamists who say this is God’s judgment and the end of the American empire. At least some dare to say it. If America is spiritual Babylon, it does indeed look like we are falling, falling (Revelation 14). But the Bible warns not to gloat over the calamities of others, lest judgment fall on the gloater as well (Proverbs).

Back to my reveries.....

I was also able to groom my horses and think about riding again....maybe today. The weather has been breathtakingly beautiful. Edenic. Except for the mosquitoes....another reason the bike is a blessing. Mosquitoes do not bother people on bicycles. What are mosquitoes doing here in mid October anyway? And what is a Manatee doing in the cold Cape Cod waters? Strange.

I saw a mockingbird yesterday, on Sabbath. Pat and I heard all kinds of bird noises that we had not heard before, so we located the chatty bird in a pine tree and looked him up in the bird guide. How appropriate to discover a mocking bird, just when I am enduring mockery for my Bible believing views. I will continue to cheerfully chatter my thoughts and songs, and perhaps add to my repertoire like the mockingbird. See sidebar for interesting information about this wonder of God’s creation. I feel emboldened by this “sign” to post my most “out there” song lyrics tomorrow. I am free to be me....including freedom to be mocked and ridiculed and not worry about it. YESHUA endured the same.

My legs are nicely toned now....from the long bike ride, which included riding on a hiking trail, over a bridge, up hill and down. The gears and tires on my Trek hybrid bike make it possible to enjoy trail riding. This is good exercise. Plus, it is probably safer than walking alone. If I do decide to walk alone on these trails, I could bring one of my dogs. I look forward to going again soon....who knows, this financial meltdown could turn out to be a good thing for gas prices at least. They are tumbling.

My hair is very long now. I am free to be me ....with my out-of-style mane of unmanageable hair. I am encouraged by Sarah Palin and her upswept out-of-style hairdo mocked by many. I heard that Sarah Palin halloween costumes are selling briskly. Whoever hates her, hates me. We share many commonalities.Too bad the fix seems to be in concerning this election cycle. Will Obama be President? Or Biden? Maybe there will be no election. Maybe there will be martial law.

I wonder what will happen in the coming days and weeks. Will October 13 be known as the blackest of Black Mondays? How bleak can it get? Will we be lining up to receive a mark to buy and sell in a NWO economy before long? Count me out....and targeted for the rumored concentration camps for the non-compliant.

Perilous times are upon us.

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you (James 4:8). Dare to be different. Dare to be free to be....you.