You’ re stressed.

Work is rough, life is tough, and the heat doesn’t help. 

There are times in your subconscious you tell yourself , if you can… drop whatever you’re doing right now.

Take a walk.   Breathe.

You’ve left the office, gone down the elevator and out the doors. You’re walking through the parking lot, the sun beating down on you, burning and shining bright overhead. No one else is out, except the guards watching the lot; everyone is at work back in the building. You could’ve felt guilty about that but you didn’t. You’re fingers reach out and brush the smooth spiny leaves of the plants lining the parking lot in their cement plots.

You ponder on getting in your car and driving somewhere when you reach it but then you remember the fee you paid lasted the whole work day; plus you could use the exercise. So you walk, the guard nods to you as you pass him.

You’re in no rush. You’re enjoying the semi-fresh air and taking in the sight of the two buildings that are the same but different at the same time; faces and voices fade in and out.

You cross the bridge and from afar you see the old boats calmly parked in the canal down below.  It’s been there but today it’s like you’re in a trance appreciating the sight perhaps because you’ve been ignoring the beautiful scenery all along, spending so much time staring at a computer screen and office desk.

One thing’s for sure though, you’ve never been on that ferris wheel before.

The operator is just leaning on his control panel, looking bored out of his mind. You can see some of the carriages have people; mothers with their children, teenagers, young couples.   I am the minimum must be reached for the the ride to be started. You can’t remember the last time you rode a ferris wheel so you approach the operator and pay your fee. You’re carriage is clean, the only kind of blemish in the interior being the speckles of dirt on the white flooring.

The world is beautiful at the top. You’ve reached the same height of the surrounding buildings but seeing the world below you and people appearing as ants and trees as dots of varying green shades, it’s breathtaking.

The air is better up there, cleaner.

Then your stomach drops when you look down.  It will end soon though.

When it does you thank the operator who looks surprised and then smiles.

You walk away feeling refreshed. You continue down a path on the bridge, back to work.  Glad you chose a good day to take that spin.