Gratitude

10/30/2023

Last night driving home I was struck by an idea for a story.

I was traveling from a direction I have never approached home after dark. We have only been in the house 7 months or so and I am very much a creature of habit. To travel home from the direction I was traveling, a left from a highway is required. When I travel from that direction in the daylight I have milestones to plot my location including a particular point at which I move to the left lane and a point where I know the turn is imminent. It was odd doing it in the dark. The markers I use look much different and most are more difficult to see.

Not only was the travel different, the moon was incredible. It was the Hunter's moon, just waning from full. I almost thought I should pull the car over for a moment to get a good look. I was trying to watch for my milestones with this giant, orange moon constantly in the corner of my eye. I managed to make the turn on time and then I was home. Our drive is roughly 150 yards from road to house, as I made my way up the driveway, I had the most eerie feeling. For a brief moment it was as if I was the only person left in the world. After parking, I had to just stand there for a moment...listening to the quiet of the evening, staring at that huge moon.

Somewhere in there is a story about a woman who follows the moon home and finds herself totally alone.