Where the Sidewalk Ends by Karen Brown

“There is a place where the sidewalk ends and before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, . . .” Shel Silverstein Today I went on a walk choosing the route “where the sidewalk ends.” The paved sidewalk across the street from my house provides a pleasant walk to the point where the pavement ends just before the dog pound. My walk began before the sun was up. The air was chilly and darkness hushed the morning. I first passed a freshly cut hay field and in the gray pre-dawn light I could see the pattern of neatly cut rows striping the field. The smell was fresh and earthy. As I made my way around the field I could see off in the distance the unbroken view to the north of our earth’s vast expanse. There wasn’t one building that interrupted my view to the horizon where land meets sky. How rich I felt as I took in the vastness and wealth before my eyes. I continued past the little league baseball fields and got to the BUB. Only a small town can call a public building the “Big Ugly Building” or “BUB” for short and have it stick. I love the realness of people in this little town. My walk continued past the animal stalls. I counted eleven horses this morning; but it was a beautiful paint and an all-white horse that stood out in the gray morning light like dimes in a jar of pennies. A little after the last animal stall the sidewalk comes to an end. It is where the “grass grows soft and white” in the morning sun that has barely risen above the horizon, “crimson bright.” I look to the east at the “S-J” mesa, to the northeast where the billows of white from the power plant contrast against the early morning sky, and to the south which looks down into town and I can hear the bustle of a waking town. It feels good to stand there in the quiet of the rising sun for just a minute and enjoy our town from “the end of the sidewalk.” As I turn around to begin the return trip, everything looks different in the new light of the morning. The grayness of the pre-dawn has been lifted and radiant colors are added to the morning’s view. How delightful and refreshing. As I pass the little league field two women have finished their walk and visit beside their cars. They remind me of my dear friends in our town, friends who are good examples in mothering and homemaking, friends who are loyal and devoted to goodness. As I pass the fresh cut field it has become elegantly dressed with beautiful yellow rows of cut grass against a light green background. The field took on a new sweetness because of the colors. The thought came to me that God meant for us to embrace color of all kinds and enrich our lives. As I cross the street to my house, my thoughts reflect back on my morning jaunt “to the end of the sidewalk.” God has been good to me here in St. Johns. This little town has blessed my children. I feel a sense of satisfaction and peace as I finish my walk up the driveway and into my home.