TKoGiL...

A scruffy, goofy looking man sways up and down the street to his own personal rhythm. He stops briefly to talk to a homeless man seated on the corner. The sitter’s eyes thin as smiling lips create lines that haven’t graced his face in quite some time. He watches the scruffy man traipse away. Continuing his trek towards no destination in particular, the man stops suddenly. He pivots off his left foot and heads on his new course. Under a tree, off set by the shade that surrounds it, lies:

A wooden board.
A foot and a half long, eight inch wide, black cylinder.
A personal challenge.

The man stops just short of the two items laying side by side. He encircles and tries to make sense of what to do with the odd pairing. He picks up the board, rubbing his hand along the rougher parts that offset the smooth, well-sanded carpentry. He kicks the cylinder. It rolls a couple of feet. The man takes off his sandals and lays them at the foot of the tree. He leans the board upon the rolling cylinder. Hesteps back and stares at the new possibility.

In his pondering, he hadn’t noticed an older gentleman, now leaning against the tree. A thick grey beard hid most of his face, but his eyes smiled as he shrugged at the young man. He put his hand out gesturing towards the contraption. The scruffy man stepped forward, placing one foot upon the board. He wavered a tad. He placed the second upon it. Shifting his weight from the first foot to the second, Wham! The board flew across the grass. The man slammed into the ground, shoulder and head first.

The bearded man laughed as he went to retrieve the board. Picking himself off the ground and shaking out his jitters, he smirked at the older man. He smuggly motioned for him to give it a try. Perfectly balancing the board atop the cylinder, the frail man leapt on with both feet. He swayed from side to side in effortless unity. The younger man stood amazed, his focus intent on watching the man’s movements. Then the man stopped. He balanced on center of the board. Occasionally he would shift his weight, but the board remained relatively motionless. He stared off at the field that lie beyond the tree.

Then he jumped off and ran away. Mezmorized by the possilities of the board, the young man lept to his feet. He jumped on the board as he had seem the older man do. Again he was quickly swept off his feet. He landed right by his sandals, hitting his head on the tree. He rubbed the back of his head and peered up into the branches. Etched on the first limb above him was the inscription:

“find freedom in gravity…”

His eyes shifted their focus down to the land, looking for the frail man who had stopped running and peered back to watch. The older man waved towards the tree, then was no more.