It’s time for my morning walk in Anguilla. I’ve written about it before. Out of bed, a little sleepy, I throw on swim trunks, shirt, socks, and shoes, perch my white Tilly on my head, and I’m off before the sun gets too hot.
A feast of the senses
The warm air on my skin. The sweet smell of almond croissants—alarming numbers of calories beckoning, reluctantly resisted—waft from the French bakery. Bass notes thud from several houses, random patterns until I am close enough to hear the melody. I pass trailers cradling gleaming powerboats: Pure Pleasure, Wet Dreamz, Drippin’ Wet, and Royal Seaduction (notice a theme here?) The gentle return uphill gradient calls for a quick dip in our pool. As I cool down I hear the clamor of bananaquits on the veranda railing gobbling up the raw sugar we’ve set out for them.
The warmth I feel during my walk doesn’t just come from the slanting rays of the morning sun. Every day, another kind of warmth envelopes me; the warmth of the people I meet.
Almost everyone I see on my walk responds in some way. On foot, the standard greeting is mornin’. The people who drive past me raise a hand in greeting and sometimes hoot the horn. These are not, usually, people I know or have ever met before, and I may never meet them again. And yet, there’s invariably a moment of connection.
Every day, unexpected responses
A speedy truck driver takes both hands off the wheel, palms facing me to say hi as I walk towards him, the hedge on my right leaving me no place to go if his steering is not true. A beautiful woman shoots me a dazzling smile as she leaves her driveway for work. Two locals walking in the same direction who, as I pass with a mornin’, say fast walkin’ admiringly to my back. Nuanced respectful nods from respectable Anguillan lady drivers. A grandmother pivots from conversation to pipe a melodious good morning. Her granddaughter in a cream blouse and green skirt uniform, waiting for her ride to school, murmurs hello as I pass. A businesswoman gripping the top of her steering wheel, fingers flying up like rabbit ears when I wave. The minister, waiting for a ride to preach to his church lifts his hand and our eyes connect. Then I’m past, turning the corner, moving towards the next meeting.
My morning walk in Anguilla. Such simple moments of connection. So little to give, so much received. Growing warmth. A wonderful way to start any morning.
A beautifully described meditation — thanks for sharing. The pace of the day reminds me of my honeymoon in Mexico… just a few years ago but so different from the barrage of work and toddlers that fills my days right now. Soon, soon…
Thanks Corey. I hadn’t thought of my walk as a meditation—but of course it is!