Natural reflections
In the busyness of life, there is rarely time anymore to commune with nature. Peaceful rest is found in snatches, a mere handful of minutes between stops or tasks. And most would choose watching animal videos rather than going outside to observe the real thing.
Bullitt County’s David Strange, a Salt River RECC consumer-member, reminds his readers how refreshing some outdoor reflection time can be in his book, Good Morning. The story follows a fellow in his twilight years, whose name readers never learn, on his morning walks to his neighborhood lake, where he befriends a goose and a duck.
Each time he arrives at the lake, he offers the wildlife a calm “Good morning,” and patiently watches, noting that the goose he calls Godfrey seems to be alone and lonely, save for his duck friend the man calls Wilbur. Aware that geese mate for life, the man assumes that Godfrey has lost his mate and is perhaps mourning, leading the reader to wonder if the man himself is leading a lonely life.
He imagines Godfrey and his flockmates weighing whether he is trustworthy with the treats he offers and referring to him as Good Morning—as if this is his name instead of the daily greeting he gives. The man watches so often that he begins to note seasonal changes in their behavior, offering a subtle life lesson to the reader: “When one slows to the pace of Nature, the changes and nuances of Life become more obvious.”
As is always the case, in nature and in life, seasons come and go, as do the geese on Good Morning’s lake. All but Godfrey, that is. Flanked by his faithful friend, Wilbur, Godfrey seems to be left behind, unpaired and uninterested in leaving his security rock until the late fall day when a lady goose arrives on the scene.
Good Morning delights in Godfrey’s newfound love and dubs her Esmerelda, watching like a protective father as they become a family. The circle of life nearly becomes a character itself, quietly reminding the reader that time moves on and change is inevitable.
Strange eloquently tells a simple story to illustrate a simple point: Humans don’t slow down often enough. His gentle style makes the story appropriate to read with children, who will delight in the animal personalities. However, the points he weaves into Good Morning’s thoughts will prompt adults to reconsider their pace.
Perfectly accompanying the softness of the story are the ink wash and graphite illustrations of artist Dennis Shaffner, whose works are archived in the Smithsonian Institution, as well as museums, hospitals and universities.
No stranger to writing, David Strange has authored two books and countless stories for local newspapers, drawing on his memories of Bullitt County.
Strange, who describes himself as “well past” his 70th year, says that life has allowed him to “slow down and thoughtfully participate in the inspirational joy of Nature.” His writing reflects these experiences—particularly his sunrise walks in Peaceful Valley.
His book Good Morning (Amazon, $19.95) is available online, at local bookstores, and at the Bullitt County History Museum.
