Wayzata Wandering

Driving down from Blaine this afternoon, I marveled at how lucky I felt to be in the moving lanes of traffic and not the stalled ones. My previous work commutes were:
1) walking
2) 45 minutes of country roads hampered only by occasional stray livestock
Fortunately, I seemed to have landed another winner.

Because it was hot today, and my car has no air conditioning, things were lethargic. Coasting into a red light near an elementary school, I noticed a pair of males, one little and one big. Both decked out in red T-shirts with matching baseball caps, the larger one attempted to teach the smaller one to hit a T-ball.

Screwing his body into what looked like a respectable hitting stance, the child swung at the ball and with a sturdy "thwack," knocked over the T. Not showing a smidgen of impatience, the man took the bat and began to make slow, elaborate gestures. The light turned green, and I smiled as I rolled through one more intersection.

After supper, I walked into Wayzata on a mission to add another Minnesota library system to my card (I proudly belong to two already). Mission accomplished, I walked out with a book about the French impressionist artist Renoir and the hope that the other popular novels, which I never get to on time, would be returned soon.

The wind did it's best to make white caps on the lake, and I wandered aimlessly, trying to shake off the "new job" stress I'd been harboring and the little bit of loniless that crept in from somewhere. Lake smell is an effective tonic for that. Marveling at the rich people and their rich lifestyles, I admitted I might do the same if I had money.

Right after crossing the bridge, I saw some kids hanging out in a pack and waiting for something. They must have had a secret signal, for with no warning, they took off down the hill pedaling like little bats out of hell. And the youngest boy was last, his blond hair flopping around his face as he pushed his scooter faster and faster. Not fearing the force of his speed and the proximity of the concrete, his leg swung out behind him, and he hollered with delight. And I admitted I wished I was doing the same.