There is a tranquil place that replenishes my soul and rejuvenates my spirit. It physically resides behind my home, just 30-minutes from the hustle and bustle of Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. I've intentionally hidden here a zillion times within its natural beauty. This is where my monthly "Silent Day" typically takes place. I am comforted here.
One day all is copacetic and the next day my landscape of tranquility is all but gone and shrouded in mystery.
The water and trees behind my house are a refuge for duck, fish, a giant turtle, an owl, rabbit, squirrel, vole, raccoon, muskrat, and an occasional deer, Although this body of water has no official name, I affectionately call it Lake Fannin. Okay, I know it's a pond, but it's still a big deal to me. Here I've contemplated all of my published, written work. I've spoken to countless clients on my cell phone, as I walked along the bank. I've meditated a zillion times after staring into these waters. The Zone finds me here.
Within 24 hours Lake Fannin all but disappeared
There was no warning! The sun was shining, with not a cloud in the sky. Swiftly the water began receding like someone pulled the plug on your peaceful, bathtub soak. After two days, my precious body of tranquility looks like a tiny stream trickling in a desert. The smell of dead fish permeates the air. Mosquitos now have stagnant pools of water to lay their eggs. Zika? With 46 cases in Illinois, it makes you ponder your family's safety. Where did the water go? To date, no one knows. Of course, the water had to go somewhere.
When I placed a frantic call to the local park district that oversees the water, the response was out of a Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew mystery. I was told, "We don't know what happened?" My neighbor heard the ominous, public game of "We need to see who's going to pay for this?" Will the Army Corp of Engineers, park district, EPA, city, county or state foot the bill and rectify my magical, retreat of solitude? Answer: "We'll get back to you."
What happens when life deals a blow to your inner peace? One day the water behind my home quenches my thirst for quietude and the next day I'm filled with angst.
Negative things happen to people. We are dealt cards beyond our control. Will the absence of Lake Fannin (as I knew it) alter my life? No. All I need to do is shut my eyes and it reappears. Yes...we control our thoughts and consequently our actions.
Am I mad? No. Disappointed? Absolutely. When will my Lake be restored? It could take months to identify, pay for and fix the challenge. Am I a victim of the circumstance, condition and situation? No. I'm a man that just adjusts and adapts. However, I do want to know one thing...
"What the %$$&# happened to Lake Fannin?"
Okay...I now feel so much better. Thanks for listening to my short rant. The good news is I still have my Zen garden and a library of peaceful, tranquil memories that will comfort me and provide the solace I need and deserve.
Find your tranquil place either mentally and or physically. Join me in retreating into the "purposeful calm" of one of our greatest resources for being our most authentic, genuine best self...the Zone.
Make no mistake. Lake Fannin will return! I just hope it's sooner than later.
