Expectations
My second day in Lexington (Friday, August 6th) began on my own as my host and hostess went off to work for the day. I slept in and enjoyed three cups (!!!) of the Hazelnut coffee my host brewed before leaving that morning. I couldn't let it go to waste after all. I started the day with a breakfast sandwich before retiring to the front porch with my cup of coffee for a little journaling.
My load of laundry called me in to make a switch and the host bulldog, Walter, called me to go out to the backyard, so I picked up my journal and my cup and moved the operation to the porch overlooking a fenced-in back yard. A bright blue bee encouraged me to go inside to check on my laundry at just the right moment, so I folded my dry clothes before pulling on my swimming suit and packing a swim bag.
The last time I had visited Lexington was in early November, so I had a dream of splashing around in the mountain spring at Goshen Pass. My hostess wrote out directions for me to her favorite teenage swimming hole, so with those directions in hand, I set out for a magical mountain experience.
The road to Goshen Pass is a windy mountain road and I pulled over once to let four cars pass me by during the nearly 30-minute drive there. My directions were to go about a mile past the picnic area and pull over right after the "S" curve road sign. Just as the odometer rolled one mile, I was pulling off into a little parking area and thinking "My hostess is good!" Things seem to be working out for me.
On my way down to the water's edge, I saw a black feather on the path. According to finefeatherheads.com, this is a symbol of arcane knowledge. Black feathers have long been associated with wisdom and seeing a black feather can mean that your angel is gifting you with magical knowledge and wisdom beyond this world. It is a reminder to remain open to new information and insights that will come my way.
I continued on to find several large flat rocks with water rushing around them. I crossed a shallow spot of water to the closest big, flat rock and sat for a short time with my feet in the water. But I thought to myself "I don't think this is it." My hostess had showed me a painting of her favorite spot and I wasn't recognizing the rock formations as being a match. I was nervous to navigate the slippery rocks, so I stayed only briefly to get a few amazing photos before working my way back up the path towards the car.
I branched off toward the right to see if the path led a little further downstream. I had to cross over a heavy downed tree (part of my handwritten instructions), so I thought "This must be it." By the time I got to the shoreline, it was even rockier than upstream. However, from this vantage point I could see a couple sitting on a giant rock downstream that looked a lot like the one from the painting.
I made my way back to the car and got back on the highway to find two ladies get out of their car and make their way down to the water shortly down the highway from me. It felt too weird to slam on my breaks and follow them down, but looking back, I wish I had. It's like the universe was pointing me to the right spot and I passed it by. I drove back towards the picnic area, but ultimately continued on home.
I arrived back at the house in Lexington feeling hot, sweaty, and a little unfulfilled from my adventure. I hit the shower to get ready for the First Friday event downtown that night. As the water washed away the day, I felt the regret of a missed opportunity mostly sidetracked by an expectation of what the experience should be. There are so many times that I'm willing to let go of expectation to enjoy the journey, but this time I could have heeded the message of the black feather and remained open to insights to lead me on the path of least resistance to my most fun.
I did enjoy my drive out into the countryside and discovered a new song that spoke to me on this journey. In the song Traveller performed by Chris Stapleton, he sings:
I'm just a traveller on this earth.
I couldn't tell you honey, I don't know
Where I'm goin' but I've got to go
'Cause every turn reveals some other road
And I'm a traveller, oh, I'm a traveller
Even when the road isn't quite what you expected, you're always on the right path, learning from every twist and turn and hopefully enjoying the scenery along the way. Without any expectation, the evening was perfect. We drank wine and chatted with guests in the hostess' art gallery that evening. There are so many beautiful paintings at Cabell Art Gallery including scenes of Goshen Pass. I was continually drawn to this beautiful one by artist Tom Bradshaw. I adore the coloring. When the event was over, we picked up pizza to enjoy back at home. We retired to our rooms early that evening after our big day and I even got in a little blogging before bed.
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