Blossom, Richard Herzog

Eastside Trail

Eastside Trail extension at Wylie Street

Blossom sits just after I finish two miles on my usual Beltline path. It occurs when I have lots of trail left to cover. (Not sure why that particular place is a decision point, but it always feels like a place that asks me to lean in, go, and worry about aches and pains tomorrow.) This piece is whimsical at a time when whimsy is needed. This piece is beautiful at a time when my feet swell and my head aches. This piece marks progress at a time when I generally want to give up. A combination of skateboards and sunshine lift my spirits. Yellow always makes me feel better, too. In the midst of monkey mind chatter, Blossom reminds me to make the most of what I have been given. To find sunshine around every corner. To build things with whatever I have: scraps, paint, creativity. To be “yes” in a world of “no.” I am grateful for Blossom moments. I am grateful for forks in roads that present choices. I am grateful for light in dark — it helps me see beauty in it all. I am grateful for repurposed steel — it makes me comfortable with my continued journey of repurposing and reimagining.

A Note on my Atlanta Beltline Writing Project

I am practicing paying attention. I am practicing noticing beauty. I am practicing getting in touch with my artist self. I am practicing connecting with the outdoors. I am practicing my inner Mary Oliver. I live in Atlanta, “the city in a forest.” I live on the Atlanta Beltline, an interurban trail that graces the city. The Beltline is part arboretum, part art gallery, part park. It connects shops and restaurants and homes with people of all descriptions. I walk on the Beltline 4 or 5 times a week. I have spent the last year appreciating all that it is. My hope is to write about it — its art, trees, landmarks, etc.— for the next few weeks as spring unfolds. I want to soak it all in.