Ah, it was nice to rejoin the living, this weekend in particular. After a week immersed in timelines and editing (job) and coming home to rooms full of boxes (recent move) I felt human again during my stroll to the park--the same Astoria Park that barely a month ago proved to be a haunting experience, with a looming Triborough and phantom Hellgate in the fogginess of a winter snow storm. If my last visit was black, white and grey, this time it burst with the promise of color and new noises, amidst the same old cars and trucks rattling the rafters from above. The pop of metal bats for pre-season baseball practice, the bouncing of basketballs on the pavement, even the slaps of gloves from men boxing in the center of the track, while a little girl played in the sandbox next to them. Soon enough, the pool will be full, chlorine and hotdogs will fill the air, and people will be laying out on the great stretch of lawn with coolers, Frisbees and hookah, as cars and motorcycles promenade down Shore Boulevard below them. And I will be jogging down to the track at dusk, when the heat is somewhat bearable, trying to enjoy the plum-colored skyline as I heave along, the high-school track team breezing by.
So much focus on a busy work week and not enough time to take a breather and merely get outside leads to a loss of sanity, simply put. (The Rolling Stones were right. Lose your dreams and you do start losing you mind.) A little sun heating up my head and a glance at the water, even if it is the East River, reminds me of the trip to Italy I am supposed to be planning.
I must admit, my new route to the park from my new place is a little less enjoyable than my old route, starting off from 30th avenue. I do prefer the long stretch of little brick houses and front yard gardens down Crescent Street to a busy, and at times threatening Astoria Boulevard. But the plus? My new route thus far includes a turn on 24th Ave and a pass of the beer garden. I foresee a well-deserved icy mug of beer and some kielbasa on my way home from the track this summer.
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