Gone fishing

It is sunset and I am riding my bike for exercise. I am also on the lookout for birds and other animals. A blue heron flew over my head, legs dragging behind it. Her landing was smooth and she touched down right at the water’s edge. She positioned herself well to search for food. Her eyes were quick and darting. The great blue heron’s eyesight is about 3 times acute as ours. Its binocular vision gives it very good depth perception.

Many of us are fishing for something–perhaps a change of scenery or something new by the water’s edge. One of my dear friends who spent many years in the Philadelphia area and the last 7 years in the neighboring town of Ocean Grove is selling her house to move to Meadow Woods, a community for Seniors. She’s smart, has a razor sharp memory, reads, listens to classical musical, but the phrase that most accurately describes her is “fiercely independent.” At 85, she does want to live alone, but also wants the security of a community. She can see her future clearly.

This change is dramatic, but makes a lot of sense to me. I will miss her eclectic mind and her quick wit. I, too, have thought of moving as I spend more time on the phone with my son than actual visits. However, we have had some good visits after my appointments at NYU Langone. It’s the best part of all the testing that I have experienced in the past months. At this point I am not eyeing any big change–only to get better.

But there are some small changes for me and they are still taking shape under the surface of the water. Music has always been a powerful force in my life. I have especially loved singing in choirs. My eyes are looking for both a new outlet for singing and a new teacher to work with.

The pandemic has inspired many of us to make changes in our lives. It is not over yet, but we are learning to focus more closely on the important things in our lives. Like the blue heron we must peer deep into the pond and use our binocular vision to see as far as we can into the deep.