Saturday morning, third day in a row that I haven't been able to sleep. I finally got fed up and got out of bed at 3:30 am. Got dressed, and went for a walk. It always amazes me how the world shuts down at that time of night. Everything is utterly still. You stand on the street corner and can hear the traffic light change from red to green. No birds, no cars, no sound really at all, except for your own breathing and footsteps.
So I walked down my street to Lake Ave, turned right and walked to the Edgewater park. This park runs along the west side of the city and up against Lake Erie. Walked through the park, down the hill and past the beach as the sun was beginning to lighten the sky. Past the marina, and even pass the treatment plant, I walked until I reached the city.
I love walking without a time frame or purpose, stopping when I see something that I want to look at. I turned and continued my walk through the city of Cleveland, walking past the buildings as I strolled towards the Detroit St Bridge (Memorial Bridge). Crossing the Public Square en route, I noticed all the homeless people, wrapped in blankets, laying in the fountain areas. I always wonder about these people. How are they surviving? Of course, I keep walking, moving quickly past, not making any eye contact (I've lived in New York City!). As I am crossing the bridge, I begin to wonder if this was the smartest route to take home. The neighborhood of the Detroit Shoreway is not the nicest, and it is only going on 6 am.
I pass the home of a friend and like always, I check to see if the light is on in the window. No...but I would have been surprised if it had been. On course, I make a right and head back to the park, going through an underground tunnel to a short pathway leading back to the beach. The sea rats are out and I can hear them in the distance.
When I was a child, I used to love sea gulls. I thought they were the greatest birds. Then I spent six months living at the beach, fighting them away as I would try to eat my dinner, watching as they would steal food from my plate. Beach people call them sea rats for a reason. Here at the lake, we have sea rats, just no salt water. As I approached the beach I saw the strangest site. A man was getting out of his car, with grocery bag full of nothing but birdseed.
As he walked along the beach, he just sort of poured the seed out of the bag. It had to be at least 2000 birds all diving for seed around this man. At one point, I couldn't even see him. It is probably the only time I have ever wanted to own a picture phone, so I could have taken a picture of the site.
Got back to the house around 8, sat down and tried to write, but for some reason (lack of sleep?) I just didn't have the energy I had had before hand.
Tonight, I get to see Gypsy at a local community theater. Hopefully I can stay awake during it.
