The Hope of Christmas

      It is December and Christmas is in the air, so naturally, I wanted to take a walk to check out

the Christmas lights in the wealthy neighborhoods around TCU.  This is one of my favorite things

to do to relieve some of the finals stress that inevitably returns each year at this time.  Walks are

soothing in ways that many other of my coveted study breaks - including but not limited to food,

phone, and piano - do not fulfill.  It offers a chance to step outside with some fresh air, get some

exercise and forget that school exists even for a brief moment of time, wandering with no goal,

leaving the path up to chance and wherever she chooses to direct me.

     This particular walk took place on a foggy night, setting a mysterious tone over the already unfamiliar path.  I wandered in and out of neighborhoods, experiencing nature here in a different way.  While there were some natural elements like a creek running through the neighborhood or the wooded areas in less developed areas, something that made me intrigued was how a little fog had completely kept everyone in their homes.  While these neighborhoods don’t believe in sidewalks, it doesn’t necessarily keep people from walking.  In past years, I have passed many people on these walks; some searching for peace like me, others seeking exercise, and even others whose reasons I could not deduce.  On this particular walk, I noticed that the fog - some water in the air - had people stuck inside.  They were not getting to experience the same wonder that I was seeing.

A spooky scene from the walk

     By choosing to walk on that night, I got to experience how the fog interacted with the dark.  The two joined forces in limiting visibility, while the Christmas lights and street lamps fought a glorious battle to continue my walk.  The hope of my walk was kept alive by the spirit of the season, much like my hope of getting through finals.  Instead of killing the light, the fog only made it that much more surreal.  In scenes that looked like they were cut from a horror film, it didn’t look real to see this battle in real time.  The forces of nature had invaded the neighborhood and the residents had felt the shift and chose to stay inside, leaving me as the sole witness of such a wondrous event.