Lake Lanier off Exit 16 on GA 400 seems to be a place out of my imagination.I have always longed for a place like this. A lake, waters lapping up, pine trees, a few benches and solitude. And here it is just a five minute drive from home. Sometimes life has a way of giving you just what you need.
I have resolved to go there everyday while I am here. I am leaving in twenty days and will perhaps never come here again, so I don't want to miss a thing. I sit on the benches and read, gaze at the water that comes lapping up and walk Rocket sometimes. I want to remember every little detail to know each nook and cranny every curve of the lake..the evening lights the morning moods.
Sometimes noisy teenagers drive in and they rush into the lake with their boats. Never pausing for a moment at the shore, which suits me just fine. The shore is always quiet. Bikers come and ride up the slopes for a good cardio.
Today there was a Mexican family at the lake. the parents in their early twenties, a toddler and a puppy. A little further a couple in their forties sat holding hands. He looked like a biker because of his sidelocks and tattoos. She was more of a housewife, a mom. I wonder if they are partners or just old sweethearts stealing a few moments from life. Moments that are not theirs.
Sometimes when I am at the lake after dark I see an elderly man standing by his pickup truck. What brings him here alone at this hour I wonder. Maye it is only a breath of fresh air he is looking for..maybe it is solace. Maybe he is also trying to make memories or perhaps reliving them.
Even the drive back from the lake is magical. The small intersections leading to roads faintly visible through the foliage, roads full of promise. I do not wish to drive through those roads, the intrigue and promise is more alluring. There are barns and open spaces and sometimes I see horses grazing and then just round the corner comes the small intersection that leads to my house. No promises of magical places here just the beaten track that leads home...
