We arrived yesterday afternoon in Abington, Virginia and immediately biked into the trail. We biked for about 2 hours, along rolling hills, beside a rushing River, high above the trees, along green farmlands, crossing wonderful wooden bridges and thru small towns. The trail head at Abington had a small museum with old black and white photographs of the old stem engines that used to travel the trail, a glimpse into the long gone past of small towns, bustling railroads and a simple life that long ago existed.
The bike ride was exhilarating, traveling alongside tall trees and wonderful farmland, a chance to get away from the stress at work. My mind kept having thoughts of a fearful future at work, reliving the stressful meetings during the past weeks, of the anger and heartless comments made during meeting confrontation. Where has all the civility and kindness gone? As if one has plunged into a heartless future with no comfort to those like me who struggle and need help at work, having difficulty adjusting the increasing demands of work.
I decided to step aside from my role to remove the tension and concern in the current projects. I thought it was the best choice instead of digging in and fighting it out. There is no salvation or redemption in this situation like in the movies where the lone underdog battles the powers that be. Instead, a thankless battle of silliness and pettiness. Instead, I did the smart thing and leave the field of battle to the fools that remain to fight their illusions. I prefer to focus on the things that matter to me and my future with the years left in my working career.
The bike ride in the wonderful countryside allowed me to enjoy nature and relieve the anxiety of this recent moments though I have calmly weathered them but not succumbing to overthinking which I still tend to do. My daily meditation, Tai Chi and exercise kept me sane and grounded. Writing also help with gratitude journals. The purpose of this blog still remains as I work through my work experiences with writing a welcome antidote to stress.
