Originally published in Synapse on April 29, 1997.
There is nothing like springtime and nowhere like San Francisco to experience it. From my vantage point I watch the fog quietly and gently slip away, while the sun peeps out its wondrous head.
The magnificent and proud Golden Gate bridge comes into view. If I wait another 10 to 15 minutes, I can clearly see the ocean and the headlands beyond it.
Watching the fog slip away is like opening a package at Christmas time, except what is being revealed is nature in all its splendor. The tall green trees, the blue sky, the jutting ridges of the bay, the ocean, which looks quite calm: each one complementing the other.
Ushered in by the sun, the day dawns, signaling hope, promise, newness and miracles. The day beckons me to come out and enjoy it, to soak up the sun rays, to run along the beach, and to explore the bay.
Alas, I cannot. My vantage point is the Millberry Union gymnasium and I am perched atop a stationary bike, riding as fast as I can. Sweat dripping, I can feel the pounds drop away; I am getting skinny by the minute. (Well, maybe not —but everything else is true.)
This is the view from the MU gym, which has a wall of glass built so that dreamers like me can fantasize about the day and its promises. It is 7 a.m., and the gym has quite a few customers all working up a sweat before meeting the day.
I wonder if they see what I see, or if it is just another day to get to work or hit the books for school. Oh, I do hope they see what I see; it would be such a waste If they didn’t.
Now my workout is over, and I must rush to class, but before I do, I will stop, close my eyes, turn my face to the sun, take a few deep breaths and soak up some rays.
Have a good day and don’t forget the promise of each new dawning. Smell the roses!
