An open invitation.....

Developing a friendship with the young hip professor was a value in and of itself. They had spent moments talking between classes, posing and answering questions while weaving through the barrage of students attempting to make the next class bell, and hours over beers at the union hall attempting to place theory into reality.


It did though seem overly generous for him to offer his cottage for the weekend located in the sand dunes along Lake Michigan, a few hours north. As he jumped on the chance with enthusiasm, he was sobered by the professor’s comment that “access may be difficult this time of year.”

He and his woman headed out late after a mandatory wedding reception, a bit buzzed and wild for adventure away from the university, and into the flurries of a developing snowstorm.

Sand and snow make for a tough trek and they eventually had to walk and stumble over a few dunes to discover a quaint, cold, and boarded up cottage. Effort prevailed and he was able to get the fireplace active in time for her to snore away in her sleeping bag. He stoked the fire and stepped out of the cottage. The snow had stopped and the sky was clearing. He decided to climb the dunes leading to the great lake the local Indians called “Michi gami.”

He sat for a long time absorbing the isolation. The dunes appeared to be so stationary, yet he knew they changed daily with the wind, water, and time. The lake, so impressive in the twilight, sat steady, deep and black. He realized how much more he could understand about the natural world when he was quiet and alone, ceasing to socialize, and engaging in the spirit. Always there and always available.

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