Walking. Like a Pissant.

Posted on by Live & Learn

3:30 am.

Wally skooches (sp?) up from under the covers and gives me kisses. How does one not smile at this wonderful creature, even this hour. Wally needs to go wee-wee. He races out to the end of the yard, does his business, and comes bolting back, doing a full body shake in flight to shake the cold off — Wally wants no part of what’s outside at this hour. And I can’t blame him.

I shiver, look up, and there’s Moon, in her full glory. I grab the camera and take the shot— best to have something to show for this unexpected Call-of-Wally-Duty at this hour. (Shot here.)

5:30 am.

1,416 consecutive (almost) days on this daybreak walk at Cove Island Park. Like in a Row.

Susan reminded me last night that it’s the first day of Spring. I wondered if I forgot to push the clock back a month with the time change. The thermometer reads 29 F°, but there is no way in Hell it’s remotely close to that. Wind gusts up to 25 mph are blowing (I mean BLOWING) off Long Island Sound, and miraculously finding every exposed piece of flesh, which is a miracle in itself given that I’m 4-layered up. Shiver, again.

There are only 4 of us out in the Park this morning, the Regulars, with King Lunatic out front. “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Well, mostly true here, except the gloom or sheets of rain can present temporary obstacles.

Mark Twain counted “136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours in the spring.” I count three. 1) Cold. 2) Damn Cold. 3) F-ing Damn cold. Is this Connecticut or Vostok, the Antarctic station?

I walk.

You’re quite a whiny pissant b*tch this morning, despite your incredible blessings and privileges. I find that this nurturing self-coaching softens me a bit.

I walk. Now into headwinds. My eyes can’t stop tearing, yet another amazing blessing of aging. I start to panic as I can’t blink as tears freeze near instantly. (Think licking the frosty hood of your car with your tongue in the dead of winter. Yes I’ve done it. Still traumatized.). My vision now blurred, eye lids near frozen shut. I slow my pace for fear of stumbling on a rock and taking a header.

I stop on the beach, and look out at the horizon.

At that instant “The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald” comes to mind – …Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee / The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead / When the gales of November came slashin’ /

….never gives up her dead…Right, I’m not dead yet Gitche Gumee.

The wind abates, I look down, and there it is.

The beach is wind swept, wave blasted, tide scoured and smoooooth, oh so smooth as if swept with a feather brush.

I take a few steps down the beach and find ever-so-light traces of my footsteps tracking me. These same footsteps that will be swept away by tides in hours.

For those few moments, I felt no cold, my eyes see clearly, and the bullsh*t pissant attitude fell away.

“It is easy to feel small and powerless; easy, too, to feel amazing and fortunate to be here.” (Kathryn Schulz, Lost & Found)

I sigh. Yes. Truth.

46 thoughts on “Walking. Like a Pissant.”

  1. You’d NEVER survive a Minnesota winter. Get another layer on your face and wear goggles so your eyes stop tearing up. You-can-do-it!

  2. Love this,my grateful pissant friend. Had you not been walking slowly, you’d have missed the glory of the morning, and we would have been denied this terrific post and pics…truth, so don’t refuse the compliment with ‘awww’ 😉

  3. King Lunatic can only be out in front if he got there first. Remember that. However, when it comes to articulating the Cove morning experience…. You’re number one. Thank you DK.

  5. Life is easy… ““It is easy to feel small and powerless; easy, too, to feel amazing and fortunate to be here.”l according to Wally.

  6. Photos are unreal. I had to Google pissant, lol. Your writing is great, and makes me think you’d be great dinner company. So funny.
    P.S. I thought it was “scootched” but Googled that too and apparently it’s scooched.

  7. I love this, too, my early morning troubadour. ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ never fails to pin me in place when it comes on…I always think, “Oh Lord, do not let that ship go down!” Even as I know she is heading toward a watery grave. The perfect evocation for this cold, tear-inducing morning, and that shell. So delicate, so tenuously placed on the shore, just waiting for your eye to land on her and your breath to be released in a grateful ‘ah.’ Thanks for sharing the journey, my friend. Loved every moment….

    1. Smiling. Still. Thanks Lori. So, I looked up “troubadour.” Friend, This is NOT me!

      trou·ba·dour /ˈtro͞obəˌdôr,ˈtro͞obəˌdo͝or/ https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=how+to+pronounce+troubadour&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOMIfcRowy3w8sc9YSnjSWtOXmPU5eINKMrPK81LzkwsyczPExLjYglJLcoV4pPi4eIqKcovTUpMyS8tsmJRYkrN41nEKp2RX65Qkq9QANSVD9SWqoBQBACX6EKPXwAAAA&pron_lang=en&pron_country=us&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiO4rrqr4aFAxXeM2IAHe2GD4kQ3eEDegQIHhAM noun

      a French medieval lyric https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=lyric&si=AKbGX_qy882wphGEk_Dxwohm5Oanolc07JCD9sgwmGtkxx2rd9jWgDtyqx2kN2xps3P2X4NB9pLxiPRMIcqQZ2DPj5mJCxWnWw%3D%3D&expnd=1 poet composing https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=composing&si=AKbGX_onJk-q0LQUYzV7-GRhpJ5DpTPQ2pWnDhs39gDiDif2NKo4uxsfkMTdVUu0QzBkVurUK2uFWR_Zs6S7Rx0kMxmzcIu0QV40Put4OxC7TpCFzHLkUds%3D&expnd=1 and singing in Provençal in the 11th to 13th centuries, especially on the theme of courtly https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=courtly&si=AKbGX_okS0g0kR2PXn0TLBASIc0mDviuwxggadSe-8hA5ThUqLzAV1_kpIDRJPyhWUM4FZGmtBCZ1P87FJm6ZJDocMayBHwdCZwMtfuRboW1pISpIEQ2g1s%3D&expnd=1 love. trou·ba·dour /ˈtro͞obəˌdôr,ˈtro͞obəˌdo͝or/

      https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=how+to+pronounce+troubadour&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOMIfcRowy3w8sc9YSnjSWtOXmPU5eINKMrPK81LzkwsyczPExLjYglJLcoV4pPi4eIqKcovTUpMyS8tsmJRYkrN41nEKp2RX65Qkq9QANSVD9SWqoBQBACX6EKPXwAAAA&pron_lang=en&pron_country=us&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiO4rrqr4aFAxXeM2IAHe2GD4kQ3eEDegQIHhAM noun 1. a French medieval lyric https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=lyric&si=AKbGX_qy882wphGEk_Dxwohm5Oanolc07JCD9sgwmGtkxx2rd9jWgDtyqx2kN2xps3P2X4NB9pLxiPRMIcqQZ2DPj5mJCxWnWw%3D%3D&expnd=1 poet composing https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=composing&si=AKbGX_onJk-q0LQUYzV7-GRhpJ5DpTPQ2pWnDhs39gDiDif2NKo4uxsfkMTdVUu0QzBkVurUK2uFWR_Zs6S7Rx0kMxmzcIu0QV40Put4OxC7TpCFzHLkUds%3D&expnd=1 and singing in Provençal in the 11th to 13th centuries, especially on the theme of courtly https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=591553bf2b9a7dbe&sxsrf=ACQVn09JJVL-n5-EPWnqfjkzvgZlA4brOg:1711059090987&q=courtly&si=AKbGX_okS0g0kR2PXn0TLBASIc0mDviuwxggadSe-8hA5ThUqLzAV1_kpIDRJPyhWUM4FZGmtBCZ1P87FJm6ZJDocMayBHwdCZwMtfuRboW1pISpIEQ2g1s%3D&expnd=1 love.

          1. Thank you Sawsan. Appreciate it. Noted that u have been slow on the uptake, esp after hammering me on back channels for being missing in action on this blog. I expect full and complete attention from your Highness on future posts.

          2. Laughing…
            K 🤭
            But I still like to visit later to catch up on comments.

  8. Can’t say it anywhere near as beautifully as Lori did. (Thanks Lori!). “Edmund Fitzgerald” will always be one of my favorite songs. Grateful that I saw Gordon Lightfoot in concert once. Wish I had found a way to see him more. I love his music. (Some people don’t.)

    Mother nature is certainly teasing us this spring. (This is early spring in Vermont.) 50° one day… 3:30 PM today the windchill is 13°! Snow storm (3 to 7 inches) expected Saturday. Can’t rely on consistently warm weather until May up here! (Why do I live here again? Oh… Right… I am a sixth generation Vermonter. Maybe it’s time to break that chain lol.)

    Thanks for an inspiring post which is beautifully written! Peace. –Paul

      1. SO grateful to be back! 😊

        This post has revived my interest in Gordon Lightfoot! I purchased two additional Lightfoot albums on iTunes, read his Wikipedia page, and learned that there is a documentary about his life available on Amazon prime video called: “Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind” which was done in 2020 and got good reviews. Have not watched it yet. I really do love his music.

  11. Dear David you are crazy! Everyday you walk and especially even in any weather condition… BUT you are great too. Your experience of those moments are great. Me, for example, reading every step of this walking, I know, what I miss… BUT you share, you make me feel, imagine, and to see the beauties behind all these (not easy)walking… This is a kind of challenge… Thank you dear David, have a nice day and weekend, Love, nia

  12. This, once more, is a fave of mine. Starting with wally and finishing with me learning a new word and being thankful for ‘our’ weather (and thanking God for HH not having taken that job in CT; or I’d surely been frozen to death by now)… beautiful thoughts, stunning scenery, and, as often is the case, great experiences.
    Thanks for sharing not only your brains but your heart, too. After all, we’re only human.

  13. PS: quick snowstorm update. We did indeed receive 6 inches of snow on Saturday. 45° today (Monday) and about half of it has melted. Hoping to see zero snow on the ground again by end of day Tuesday or Wednesday. But that absolutely does NOT mean that snow is gone for good here yet!

      1. Always happy to help out using my super powers! I learned all of that super power stuff from Wally! He is very generous sharing his vast knowledge of the universe. I wish he would run for president, but at the same time, I would hate to see him accept such a low level position! 😁

  14. Can you even remember a time without schooches (sp?) from Wally? I love my walks, and I love reading about yours — so much grounding and spiritual growth and gratitude happens for me in nature. and when not, pissantedness for sure! MJ

  15. Ever since this post was written, my passion for Gordon Lightfoot music has been rekindled. I have listened to nothing but his work since this post came out! (I often forget to listen to music… I’m trying to fix that as I find it extremely relaxing and healing.)

    Previously I only had one of his “best of” CDs. Since this post came out I have purchased three more of his albums (both on iTunes and in CD format). Just last night I was back online searching for a fourth album.

    Also watched the 90 minute documentary/interview made in 2020 where he reflects on his life and his music, which I loved. The documentary is called: “Gordon Lightfoot: if you could read my mind”, and is available on Amazon’s “prime video”. If you are a fan, it is well done.

    Please help! I have become addicted! 🙂

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