By Glenn Koster
Walking Through Life
I have been walking diligently now for nearly a decade. Almost all of the time I have been able to avoid bad weather. This past Saturday proved to be an exception. With the Kansas State Fair underway, I chose to attend on Saturday. However, based on the parking lots around the fairgrounds and the streets nearby, I was unlike most people in that I chose to walk from home, which was a decision that would definitely leave a memory for me.
I arrived at the fairgrounds early in the afternoon with beautiful skies and warm temperatures (at least by Kansas summer standards). I walked through the fairgrounds all afternoon, stopping to speak with many of the vendors and even more of the visitors. I enjoyed myself immensely and even made connections that I will use in the coming months.
I love to watch people in crowds. Many are very outgoing, willing to interact with anyone they meet. There are numerous others who chose to keep their distance. There are things in places like the fair that they want to see and learn about, but meeting others is not at the top of their list. It is also very interesting to observe the different ways that people dress in a crowd. You can tell some people’s approximate ages by what they have on. Others you get a sense of where they truly live—in the country or in the city. You see stylish hats and shoes you would never see anywhere else. It can be a very interesting experience.
As most of you who read this column already know, I also love to walk—through every building, down every street, and around every corner. I was truly enjoying the fair until …
Somewhere between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Saturday, phones started simultaneously going off all over the park. No, it was not a mad rush of phone calls. Our wonderful weather folks decided to warn of a serious weather threat. I believe everyone who was old enough to have a cell phone got the message at the same time.
These notifications caused me to ponder. I was more than 2 miles from home and likely would now face a deluge should I choose to walk home. I pulled out my phone, checked my weather app, and saw that I had about an hour to get home and stay dry. I took the chance.
However, being who I am, I did not take the most direct route home. I was a little more than a half-mile from home when the rain came down in buckets. I was drenched by the time I got home, but I truly enjoyed the walk in the rain (especially since all of the lightning to that point was still miles away).
There is something refreshing about walking in the rain.
There is something refreshing about walking through the storms of life as well.
We simply need to have the right perspective. We need to realize that our community (and our lives) often desperately need the rain. This was especially true last weekend. We also have to remember that the rain that comes down is a powerful cleanser to the things that hold us back—from the gutters on the street to the fallen leaves in life. We also need to remember that once the rains are gone, beauty reappears. For those who chose to stick it out at the fairgrounds, the rides reopened for fun and frolic and the scheduled concert went on as planned. The evening was thoroughly enjoyable for all who stayed.
So, always remember, the storms of life – whether they it during the fair or in troubling times in your life – always provide a cleansing, refreshing opportunity to restart you day or your life!
Glenn Koster is a former reporter, a retired pastor, and a retired IT professional who spends most of his time now walking and working with various Reno County non-profits. He can be reached at Glenn.Koster@gmail.com or by phone at 620-960-4492.