Fairyland

Writing On The Dock Of The Bay

When you live in a place that's featured in guidebooks and documentaries (not to mention blogs!), it's a different kind of life. At times you have to navigate your way through clusters of camera toting tourists as you take out the trash or bring in groceries from the car. But most of the visitors are happy and considerate. When the woman from Dallas told me, "I want your life!" as I returned from the compost bin, her grin reminded me yet again of the beauty of this place and our good fortune to live here. As if I needed reminding.  Alas, sometimes I do.  It's true - my best teachers don't even know they are teaching me. Last night on the dock an elderly gentleman smiled and said, "It's a fairyland here, isn't it?" I smiled back, repeating fairyland to myself, thinking - we need fairylands in our lives, no matter how old or young we become. 

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty in every age of life really never grows old." - Franz Kafka