My Instead: I walked a
railroad track alone at night in the pitch dark.
A late night trip to
Farmington, Missouri in the pouring rain can wreak havoc on one’s nerves. And
frenzied motorists can definitely add to the breakdown. Therefore, I was never
so glad to be getting closer to my destination. My friend Annette was waiting
patiently for my late arrival.
The sky over Route 32
was darkened, due to the remaining clouds from its earlier downpour. My car and
I were doing our best to stay en route to Annette’s house; however, I did
wonder what I would do for my “instead” at this late hour. The clock was
ticking and the possibilities were waning. Or were they?
As I passed over some railroad tracks, the idea took form. I slowed down, stopped, went in
reverse and then parked on the side of the highway, just past the tracks. It was
dark, lonely and spooky on that desolate highway. After locking up my car, I
marched over to the railroad tracks and set my pace to that of the
railroad ties that lay before me.
I looked around as far
as my eyes could see in the darkness, wondering if anyone was lurking behind
the surrounding brush. Then it dawned on me that I was probably the only one
crazy enough to be “lurking” out there anyway. Advancing farther into the
darkness of the tracks, I realized I was also moving farther away from my car. Reaching
the point of no return was not my intention. Simply put, I wanted to feel the isolation,
face my fears and humor my discomfort. Missions accomplished.
The rails and ties transformed into an obstacle course with sticks and debris and overgrown weeds, encouraging
me to “stop in my tracks”. I made an about face and “strolled” swiftly back to
my car…my comfort zone. Feeling like I just played a starring role in the “Blair
Witch Project”, I made a bee line the rest of the way to Annette’s. She greeted
me with her usual smiling face and my temporary frenzy just washed away.
A simple nighttime stroll on a desolate railroad track proved to emit many unexpected thoughts
and feelings. The only “special effects” were a woman and her imagination.
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