Saturday, August 11th, 2012

Let the Water Fall

Hamilton, Ontario

Lakeshore Boulevard through Oakville and Burlington is lined with thick full trees of northern breed, and you’ll see plenty of mansions with perfectly manicured grounds. At the North West corner of huge Lake Ontario, the prominent trails for pedestrians and cyclist make a bend. The trail is well blazed and runs along the beach. The overcast weather makes for excellent travel on foot.

I spotted my second guy this week with a metal detector. This guy was cheerful. Not that he found something of value along the beach, but he found a monk instead of metal. He relayed to me that there’s guys out here looking for lost jewelry, ornaments and anything of value lost in the sand by beachcombers. “They’re out here looking for stuff before I even get a chance at 2:30 in the morning” he said in a very detached kind of way.

Down the trail I met another fellow who is led by his newly acquired pet, an energetic dog on his leash. The man was just as cheerful as the detector man (not being sarcastic). He expressed his feelings about the world though and how it is largely comprised of takers and not givers. There he was certainly walking his dog. I didn’t ask for it, but he just presented a donation without apprehension. And then there were more of that sort of people, very chilled out, giving encouragement to me and giving directions to Daruka and I when we couldn’t find each other.

There is always a tendency for travelling that the travelers get separated from one another. Your mood changes from feeling the security of the road, to an uneasiness that strikes a slight pain in the heart. Being lost tests your patience. It’s a good experience especially in the rain. I then entered the precincts of Hamilton, known as Steel Town with a predominance of blue collar workers. The people are however, very helpful and just to put the stigma of steel out the town you are looking at a place of beauty, a place which boasts being the waterfall capital of the world.

May devotion flow for all. May the tightness within of feeling lost and forgotten and alone fall down the cascade and be replaced with hope. Someone’s looking after you.

26 Km