I used to be afraid to walk Edgewood. They had signs warning of rattlesnakes, telling people how they should move away slowly when they hear them shake. The news would report every few years of a mountain lion sighting. Nobody ever died but the news being the news would exaggerate the claims making everyone afraid. However, by the end of the week they’d run some special on how the park rangers say it’s okay to go back on the trail. And by the end of the next week everyone would forget that there was ever a reason to be afraid.

I eventually got over my fears and now I walk the trail at least once a week for some exercise. Just the other day I was walking, headphones in, and I found a woman stopped by some flowers. They hung like grape fines, and even shared the same color, but where the grape would be were purple budding flowers. She spoke to me. Taking my headphones out I asked her to speak again and she told me how they smelled of honeysuckle. I never smelt honeysuckle before, or if I had I never knew the word for the smell. We shared a moment there. Together we turned our heads, with separate flower buds, gave a kiss of the noses. Taking in the smell. Honeysuckle could have been caramel mixed into hot chocolate, it was so delicious.

There’s a point on the trail where you can see a view of Redwood City. Through the years, it has changed and you can debate if it’s for the better. Now the news reports on new start-ups coming in and the growing rate it costs to live in the bay. Running stories on “land development” after the buildings have been created. I’m afraid that one day the place I grew up to fear will no longer be here. The news won’t report on it because it’s now a luxury to care about the environment when you can barely afford to pay your rent. Oh, how life has changed.