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Aug
12
Gates
Filed Under Ruminations
As we rounded the curve, there it was: the perfect picture: a red gate in a field of Queen Anne’s Lace with a gray, weathered fence post on each end of the gate to hold it upright. There was no fence, just the gate and supporting fence posts, positioned at the bottom of the hill leaving just enough room to pull off the road, unlock the gate, and enter the field. The field that could also be entered without stopping simply by going on either side of the gate. Queen’s Anne’s Lace filled the entire hillside, standing tall, blowing slightly in the wind, inviting entrance.
“Oh, I have to have a picture of that,” I blurted out from the backseat.
“Do you want to stop now?” Andy asked, perfectly willing to pull over and let me snap the picture.
“No, no, that’s okay. I’ll take a picture tomorrow,” I said wanting to be accommodating and keep the day on track as planned.
I thought about that future picture the rest of the day and into the night. I would print an enlarged version of the picture, frame it, and hang it in my new writing nest. This visual metaphor would speak to me daily.
The next day as we neared the curve, I reached for my camera knowing that on the outside chance Andy had forgotten, producing the camera would remind him. He remembered, though, and began to slow down, ready to pull off to the side of the road. As we rounded the curve, my face and my heart smiled in anticipation. I was so excited, it would be an effort to wait till the truck came to a complete stop before bounding out to take my picture.
We rounded the curve . . .
but they’d mowed the field that morning. Less than 12 hours after I first saw it, they mowed the field. The Queen Anne’s Lace laid flat on the ground, the red gate looked stark - almost stupid - and not nearly so inviting.
They mowed the field just that morning.
So . . .
now I have to wait a year and hope that the Queen Anne’s Lace grows back.
and hope that the gate doesn’t fall.
and hope that the fence posts don’t rot into oblivion.
and hope that from now on I’ll have the good sense to stop and snap when the opportunity presents itself.
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