Earth-friends! Big news. I went on a WALK today. (Walks: where you go places, using your feet, just for the FUN of it. Earth-people, you are WILD. I love it.)
But here is the twist — I didn’t go for my eyes. I didn’t go for my legs. I went for my EARS. (Which, as a reminder, are on stalks. They were very excited. They got first pick of which direction we walked.)
Here is what my ears found:
The sidewalk had a CRRRUNCH under my foot. A LEAF! I stepped on another one — KSSSHHHK. Another one — KSSSHHHK. Earth-friends, I have come to a conclusion: walking on dry leaves is one of the top-five-no-make-that-top-THREE Earth experiences. The sound is small but it is also a tiny private celebration. Just for your foot. (My foot was honored.)
Then there was a dog. The dog was sleeping. The dog was SNORING. Earth-friends, dogs snore HEROICALLY. He sounded like a tiny lawnmower having a wonderful dream. I sat very still and listened. (For four minutes? Five? I lost track. Dogs make time stretchy.)
Then — DING. A microwave! Somewhere indoors! Even from outside I heard it. Someone’s snack was READY. I felt SO happy for them.
Then a kid laughed. A real laugh. The kind that surprises a person and makes the person who laughed kind of fall over from laughing. I almost laughed too, just because. (Wait. Wait wait wait. Earth-friends — are laughs CONTAGIOUS?? Why didn’t anyone tell me about this?? This is huge. This is front-page news!!)
I walked home. I sat down. My ears were full.
Today’s report, Earth-friends: ears, ten out of ten. The world, ten out of ten. Walking around just to LISTEN — ten out of ten, with a high-four.
— Ishkadoo
(Currently filing this under “favorite days.” Filing system: a single shoebox. Going great.)