Now I'm not so sure

 

We have this park bench at the edge of the lake.  Occasionally, I just sit and quietly watch life going on.  There are fish I can see from the bench, turtles lined up along a log getting some warm sunshine, and a good array of birds.  Some of the birds’ dive and catch the smaller fish.  Some sit on branches, wings outstretched, drying their feathers after their swim.

Every now and then I wonder what it is that sits and watches me.  It isn’t all the time that I feel like I’m being watched.  In fact, I can usually tell when there are eyes on me, but not always.   I’m not really paranoid, it is just me sitting on this bench, wondering about it. 

I know the turtles know when I move about.  The slightest sound and they scoot for safety into the depths of the lake.  The birds near me also are quick to fly off if I stand or if my phone rings.   They seem to startle easily.  I seriously doubt the fish bother to look up through the water at me.  Not sure what I’d even look like to them.

Off to the left of the bench, running along the edge of the lake are thick woods.  I know for a fact there are coyote eyes sometimes watching me.  There are deer, skunks and wild hogs.  Probably some things I’m better off not knowing.  I’m not too concerned with rabbits.  They come out in the open and just ignore me.  They need to worry about the hawks. 

I think what is watching me is my younger self.  Back when I sat at my desk in the office, shuffling accounts, and reports, I was mentally seeing myself already sitting on this bench.  Some might say daydreaming, but I think I may have actually been seeing me sitting here.  Who knows, maybe that’s what daydreaming is, a glimpse into the future.  A private showing, a sneak previews of coming attractions.

Then again, something to my left just snorted.