My Escape

I walk into the cold air, with my terry cloth bathrobe over  my bathing suit.  My feet are barely clinging to my flip flops, as I rush to my destination in the winter cold.  I walk through a  narrow path that has been shoveled out, just for me and my trips to this special healing place.  I gasp as I throw off my bathrobe, exposing my skin to the frigid night.  I toss my flip flops in the snow and walk up the snowy steps.  I submerged my cold body into the hot, steaming water, and I suddenly feel my body relax, as the bubbles are surrounding me.  I breath in the cold moon-lit air, and feel the warm sensation of the jets, the bubbles, and I find myself forgeting all my worries of the day.  I forget that I have worries that keep my up at night.  I forget all the items that were not checked off my famous "To Do" list.  I forget that I left my classroom, with a million things left undone.  I am surrounded by the dark night, with the moon shining bright upon me.  The stars flashing, as if saying, "You did good today.  Just do your best, and that's all you can do."  I hear the humming, like I always do, of some mysterious machinery.  I always ask myself, "What is that sound?"  And then I relax, because up to this night, it has proven to be a harmless sound.  The chlorine fills the night, as I push on again.  This seems to be my routine;  two rounds of bubbles and jets.

And then, as time always does, it sneaks up on me, and I realize that it's probably late, and my two rounds of bubbles has landed me close to 10:30PM.  Just as fast as I take off my robe, I put it on even faster, if at all possible.  I quickly seal my retreat, feel my flip flops in the cold, grab my towel, and run back through the narrow path that has been shoveled out, just for me.  Just for me on these nights that allow me to find my inner peace.  My escape.