the year of nonstop motion

My lover and I spent an entire year in nonstop motion. We were both working full time, and we had plans, so many ambitious plans.

We had agreed to shut off our laptops, toss books onto a dusty shelf, put aside our wine and cigarettes. 365 days in motion. After work, she'd be sketching with charcoal, sprawled on the floor. It'd crumble and stick to her skin, cover our hardwood floor with a light gray tint.

Meanwhile, I spent many evenings working at a recreation center for children with disabilities, changing diapers, feeding through straws and g-tubes, rolling wheelchairs, lifting them into showers, playing, laughing, running, reading, teaching, learning...

On Wednesdays, we did yoga. Thursdays were set aside for jogging, and on Fridays we always baked delicious desserts.

Then there were swing dancing lessons on Saturday, and ice skating or rollerblading on Sunday (depending on the season). We were in constant motion. Every night, I would collapse into bed, feeling a healthy, fulfilling sort of exhaustion. My mind was blank. There was no thinking, no worrying. Only doing. Never ending, swirling cycles of motion. Such high velocity, that even my thoughts could not keep up with us. I'd go to bed with images of colors, swirling, swinging. Children's smiling faces. Loving hands covered in charcoal, and then well-deserved, satisfying sleep. Just keep moving. Stop thinking. It is the only way to Live.