Jumping in Puddles
The starting point of Chesterland proved to be tricky for me to find today. I researched it on Google Maps before leaving the house, but when I got to the intersection of Waterbury and Detroit across the street for St. Edward’s High School I wasn’t 100% sure which way to go. As it turns out, I had to start down Waterbury, veer right onto Lewis, go past Parkway and then veer left onto Chesterland (I think I got that right).
This entire neighborhood seems different than the rest of Lakewood. The homes are built into the hillsides and the sidewalks curve. My picture reminded me of a scene from The Hobbit.
As I continued south down Chesterland I passed Little Free Library #9 with a beautiful floral mural painted on the side. Another hopeful reminder of springtime to come.
It was at this point that the rain started. It was coming down steadily and starting to puddle up in the middle of the street. I snapped a picture with an interesting reflection of the tree and rooftop behind me. Suddenly I got the urge to jump into the puddle. When kids are younger (much younger than me) I think they jump into puddles out of curiosity and adventure. For this 50-year old, jumping into the puddle felt rebellious. I preceded to take the leap and actually did feel a bit rogue after the experience.
There was a final touching moment as I finished my walk. I noticed a younger gentleman leaving home and exiting onto his front porch. He turned around and whispered “I love you” to his partner inside. It made me wish I had done the same to my wife as I left this morning for my bike ride. I was inspired to immediately send her an “I love you” text and was happy for this reminder from a Chesterland resident.
