Welcome to my Domain, A Choose Your Own Adventure
Hail, good people of the internet. I am pleased to join the Medium community as an avid reader, and aspiring writer and creator of many things.
Most introductions are dreadfully boring. Who really cares who I am anyways? Why would I even bother giving out personal information?
Nay, you care not, and neither do I. Id rather take your time up with something rather more interesting. An adventure perhaps? Instead of a boring introduction to my various hobbies and vices, let me welcome you to my Domain and lead you upon new pathways, an inner adventure which may awaken novel delights.
The Domain Of A Mystic And Whimsy
Imagine; a soft breeze lifts your hair, gently playing it upon your cheek.
The wind carries upon it the sweet smell of fresh rain and summer heat, a beautiful smell that wells up inside you the memories of childhood, playing and exploring in simple carefree joy. The simple pleasures of the senses lull you into a happy, content state of mind, just like the shining sun in the sky, so bright and full of life.
A deep breathe cleanses the lungs in a way that only a forest can do.
And the field you stand in is alive with color, and humming insects busy pollinating the countless wildflowers and strange grasses.
A meandering path, just barely well trodden enough to see, leads you from this pleasant clearing deeper into the woods. Aspen trees quake in the breeze, and the ground is so moist you leave the path and walk along the mossy fallen logs deeper into the woods. No matter, the way seems obvious, even though there is no clear direction in your mind. Sun speckles everything you see, sort of like a kaleidoscope of greens.
On the leaf littered forest floor, fungi sprout in tiny groves. You can see circles upon circles of them in many shapes and colours, hidden underneath lush berry bushes, laden with the bounty of summer. You know what these berries and mushrooms are without effort, they are friends that whisper their purpose as you pass along. A few berries make their way into your mouth, almost unconsciously, as you explore further.
Slowly, the forest transitions from the bright white of aspen bark, red barked maple and sunshine to the deeper browns and greens of a cedar forest. Huge dark brown trunks begin to tower around you into the unseen sky, and the forest floor becomes dry enough to walk on. As you look up, you can see small animals in the far away branches, and meager sunlight trickles through the lush green, fern and pine-like leaves. As you breathe in, the scent of refreshing cedar and leaf mold engulfs your entire being, and a peace pervades your heart and mind like the comfort of a noble mother.
You make your way over knarred, ancient and winding roots towards the sound of rushing water, with a sense of growing excitement with the cooling of the air around you. Suddenly, the waterfall roars ahead of you as the trees part like a curtain. You push away the vines and branches ahead, allowing your eyes to capture the rainbow of water cascading down a high and steep cliff. This is the never-ending stream, the river which never runs dry, and the heart of the great forest. At the base of the waterfall a small herd of deer drink from the calmer edges of the pool, as the misty foam at the base leads into a rushing river. They see you, but are not scared. You could bathe in the small, protected pool sides with mossy banks and sediment rich sand deposits, or you could walk across the wide and obviously well trodden tree that acts as a bridge across the rushing waters.
You can choose your own adventure: Would you like to rest in the meditative pools of cool water, or dare to cross the bridge into the deeper woods?
You innately know that both are mystical paths, but of different sorts. The pools will allow you to rest your mind, and to enter the realms of peaceful insight, but you must be aware that you could get lost in letting go only to find yourself tumbling downstream. To cross the bridge would mean to engage your mind and heart to the fullest, and to encounter strange and beautiful things that might be far out of your understanding.
What Will You Choose?
To be continued….
Thank you for reading this meandering story adventure! I wrote it a while back and figured I should try publishing it. If you like it, let me know so I can write more!
My next article likely will be on medieval and mythical birds, and it is quite a lot of writing and researching. Probably one of my favorite topics though, since I am a history nerd!
