Gray Day and a Subdued Mood

James Altucher has become a virtual mentor for me. Today, the sky was cloudy, there was rain in the air, I was in a bit of melancholy mood, but thanks to the example that James has set, I kept my daily practice going and I enjoyed the way things turned out.

I hit another two-a-day walking practice again today, but the distances are still shorter than what had become my routine routes in the past.  This has turned out to be a blessing in disguise since it has given me the opportunity to experiment and visit some places that I haven't visited during that time of routine. Today, I rambled around Naval Support Activity (NSA), Annapolis.  I've been there before, but I boldly walked some areas that I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to go.  The view was fantastic.

USNA YP Squadron and a Liberty Boat at their Moorings on the Severn River

I walked this location before, but in the past I was always a little wary that someone might ask me what I was doing there and why I was trespassing.  There are no signs or fences indicating this isn't allowed, but I've always dreaded that confrontation in the past.  I didn't have that same fear today, and I was able to take in the Yard Patrol (YP) craft as well as the skyscape reflections with a sense of awe that had, in the past, been muted by fear.  I don't know what's changed, but something has definitely shifted for me mentally.

Yard Patrol Craft at their Moorings with Naval Surface Warfare Center Caderock, David Taylor Research
Station in the Background

I made my way down past the marine travel lift and in front of the maintenance hanger for the Naval Academy small craft.  I've never been down this route till today because it is definitely an area that has the feel of being off limits.  Again, that sense of trespass didn't cross my thoughts.

The Yard Patrol Craft Pier

Walking down past the CCTV cameras that lined the mooring pier for the YPs I began to get a little itch of anxiety, but I was here and the view was too good to pass up. I walked down the pier and was treated to a view of the Naval Academy and Annapolis Harbor that I didn't even know existed in an accessible fashion until this morning. I lingered at the end of the pier and took it all in for several minutes.  When I turned to beat a retreat, I crossed the half mile point at a 31 minute per mile pace. I'd taken my time and experimented with pushing my own limits of comfort by going into an area I've actively avoided in the past.

Severn River with Ducks in Flight

Walking my way back up the pier, I noticed that the ducks were particularly noisy and active. They honked in a seemingly endless cacophony and seemed to fly off with a degree of disgust as I rousted them from the morning perches. I suspect that ducks are not subject to the vagaries of daylight savings time, but if they lost an hour of sleep last night like the rest of us did, it might explain their relatively assertive declaration of their rights. 

Greenbury Point Extra Low Frequency Transmission Towers on the Severn River

I finally got back to one of the views on one of my old standby routes. The decommissioned ELF Towers on Greenbury Point stood as silent sentinels looking over the calm waters of the Severn River. The sky stood forth both above and below.

I didn't really get completely away from my melancholy mood today. I'm struggling with a decision that feels like it has some major consequences. To act or not to acti is the question that's running through my mind. If I act, or do not act, what is my motivation. Hard decisions don't really come down to choosing between right and wrong. The hard decisions are the ones when you pick between the better of two goods or the lesser of two evils. Those gray decisions are the ones I struggle with most often. It feels like that's what I'm facing right now. I'm probably wrong about that assessment, but it doesn't make the struggle any less real.

One thing that the walk this morning let me see is that there is quite a bit of beauty and diversity on even the grayest of days. It doesn't necessarily pop like the colorful rising or setting of the sun. It's a serenity and beauty that's a little more subtle. I have to pay attention just a little bit more to be able to see it, but it's there and it's real.

As is my practice, I'll continue to experiment and let the answers unfold over the course of tomorrow.