Creative energy

June 13, 1999

Creative energy drives an ambition in me tonight, but I feel as if I am unable to focus the energy to any useful result. Every so often, I get the urge to write something, draw something, or perhaps design a new exciting web page. In the end, unfortunately, I am usually left with nothing more than a few lines of nonsensical text on my computer screen.

I went for two bicycle rides today, one before work and one after. The morning ride was cool and a light rain pelted my skin and tapped my helmet. A slight wind fought my efforts as I made the long ascent out of the valley, where my grandparents live. But the task was easy, as I knew I would soon be descending into the valley once again, the wind pushing me home. Though I haven't yet traveled far from home on my bicycle this summer, I have enjoyed the miles thus far. Today I climbed out of the valley where my grandparents live two times and I descended twice, both times enjoying the quite solitude of the desolate highway.

Perhaps desolate isn't the word I'm searching for. After all, from the intersection where I paused to enjoy the quiet, I can view the city of Minot and hear the traffic of the nearby, busier highway. In any case, the amount of traffic assailing my senses was very minimal, as I passed only two people on foot and a motorcycle all day.

In this lack of urban racket, I listened to the sound of the birds and I enjoyed the prairie, the setting sun. I smiled and thought to myself how great it would be to live at that very spot for all eternity. The cobwebs, strung between the swaying blades of grass, glistened in the sun. Clouds hung menacingly overhead, the recent rain gave the air an amazing smell. Taking a deep breath, I reveled in the smell of summer. Suddenly, a bird flew overhead, sounding a menacing call, annoyed by my presence.

I decided to appease this mother bird and leave the vicinity of her nest. Doing so, I mounted my bicycle and slowly descended into the valley, closer to the busy highway. When I arrived at home, I prepared to leave once again. This time, for work in the noisy (and very busy) retail store.

From atop my Schwinn, I have seen the turtle mountains, the streets of Minot, and the rural highways of North Dakota. They all have their appeal, but the desolate highways and the flat land surrounding them seem to truly please me. I don't know how else to word it. North of Mohall, where I went to high school. West of Minot, where I live now. These are the places where I stood on the shoulder of the outstretched pavement, watched a setting sun, and smiled so wide that tears fell from my eyes. North Dakota is a truly wonderful place.

Creative energy exhausted...... good night.