06/10/2023

Choose Your Own Adventure

The sky looks weird when I step out the front door for my morning walk.

Years of growing up in a sunburnt country tell me that there’s a fire somewhere. The sky is hazy in the early hours of the morning. An unmistakable charred smell fills my lungs as I watch one small cloud in the distance drift by. My neighbours are all still in bed and nothing stirs in our street except a stray black cat that cautiously walks alongside me until it slips into the woods. 

I pass the Polish neighbour’s house and think about my last conversation with them. They’d just gotten back from their annual summer in Sweden and dropped by to pick up their mail. I asked them how their trip was. They smiled wide and told me they were glad to be back in Florida. It’s been on my mind ever since they said it. Who in their right mind would pick Florida summer over a Swedish one? 

As I keep walking I pass other neighbour’s houses. I make a point to pay attention to their front yards as we’ve just spent the last weekend tearing weeds out of ours. I need some ideas before we lay the mulch. There are lots of planters filled with desert roses and obscure military flags dotting the neighbourhood. I make it to the bend in our street where there’s a perfect circle of weeds growing in the middle of the road, right in front of an abandoned house.

I like walking this early. There’s nobody to run into, even the bugs seem to still be asleep. Usually, the sky is periwinkle and slips into lilac as the sun slowly rises. By the end of the walk, there are pink clouds streaming across the sky like a watercolour painting and a big orange sun illuminating the street. But today, the sky is too dusty for all that magic.

As I head over to the next street I think about what my Polish neighbours said again. They spend a lot of time tending to their garden. Every week they’re doing some elaborate outdoor project or taking their boat out. I begin to wonder if they’ve got something figured out that I haven’t. There’s a sort of peace that comes with tending to your home and living quietly, that much I’ve learnt. 

I walk past the house that has a young rottweiler who is sometimes left on a tether in the driveway. I love their garden, but I’m always worried their dog is going to chase me down the street like the one a few streets over did when I was on my bike back in February.

I pass several houses that all look identical. The only thing that differentiates them is their front door colour and taste in lawn ornaments. Teal, blue, red, grey. My favourite ornament is a meditating gnome. I begin to wonder why my Polish neighbours like living here so much. Aside from the hurricane threat, Florida does have a certain bizarre charm to it. It’s kind of like a Choose Your Own Adventure.

Anyone who’s lived in Florida long enough will have at least one crazy story to tell you. There’s a reason why the world is enthralled by Florida Man. You’ll be somewhere, minding your business, and eventually, the Sunshine State will reveal itself to you. Like a Kraken appearing out of the deep blue. You’ll get pulled under by it and then wake up on the shore looking around asking yourself, “Did that really just happen?” Seasoned Floridians will shrug it off like it’s just another day.

I follow the bend of the street and see a few houses have put up their Halloween decorations already. I love that some of the screened-in porches have fairy lights and glowing eyeballs strung up in them. Against the dull smoky sky, the Halloween decorations look particularly festive. I get to the end of the circle and head for home, walking precariously along the main road toward my street. I wish there were footpaths.
You don’t have to live in Florida to choose your own adventure. Most of us are doing it every day and never actually realise it. But, there inevitably comes a point where you look around and ask yourself “How did I end up here?” That’s when choosing your own adventure really gets interesting.

As I walk in between the two overgrown blocks of land at the start of my street I think about our front garden bed and all the work ahead of us. I think about the plants we’ve debated putting in, the pile of mulch waiting for us to spread it, and the overgrown garden bed in the back we haven’t gotten to yet. I think about how good it felt to finish the weeding over the weekend. I think about how the society garlic we’re going to plant on the side of the house will look against those lilac skies. And then, I think about how lucky I am to have the kind of problems that I have. 

Maybe that’s what my Polish neighbours mean when they say they missed this place. When living is done just right, even a place as crazy as the Sunshine State can be a peaceful place to be. 

When I get to my house and open the pink front door I feel grateful for the adventure I’ve chosen. The dog is excitedly wagging at me from the couch. Justice informs me that the news has reported we’re copping smoke from the Canadian wildfires. And so begins another day.
 
This month, I encourage you to look around and see where your adventure has taken you. Are you curious about where you want to go next?

Bonus! Do an actual Choose Your Own Adventure.

Updates: 

🍑 Peachtober Flash Fiction: This month, I'm participating in Peachtober! Every day for all of October I'll be posting flash fiction pieces to my website. 
📜 Essay contest update: Unfortunately, I did not win The Fountain's essay contest. However, you can still read Redefining Distraction: Taking Ownership of Your Autonomy on my website.
✏️ Your favourite writer is available for hire: My availability for content, copy, and creative writing is opening up towards the end of the year. If you or someone you know is looking for a writer please contact me.

Food For Thought

“I am out with lanterns looking for myself”
―Emily Dickinson