Richard Parks Journal #5

 I am the shadow of the Duck Pond. I come and go each day not with any specific expectation of what can be done for me but what tasks I can perform for others. I am very versatile. I can be in all places at once and still remain as one entity built to assist those around me. I usually am known for my abilities to shade things; to give the ducks or the humans a place to cool off or be protected from the scorching sun as they stroll through the Duck Pond paths. I, of course, have nothing against it. I actually have the pleasure of being aided by the great and powerful sun. Without it, I truly am nothing. Come to think of it, I am not really much on my own. My duties are to be there for others, to remind them of their presence, and to let them know that they are manipulators of my existence. This is only fact because I am the reflection of the Duck Pond. Come take a nice look at yourself. Make sure your feathers are nice for that unsuspecting lady duck you’ve been eyeing for a while. Enjoy the view of the sky and the water simultaneously as you rendezvous with the pond and reminisce on the memories you hold dear. Allow me to be your mirror of the world you might have never seen without my help. Let me be your gateway, your path to another side of the pond you may not have discovered yet. Use me as you will for I am meant to be used, simply because I am the bridge of the Duck Pond. If there is a will, there’s a way and I am the way across those winding water paths leading to the great and powerful Pond. I am worn down, daily with the restless feet of frequent walkers, runners, lovers, travelers, photographers, etc. I don’t complain, though. How could I complain? I’ve been doing this so long I’m not sure if I could even perform any other task. I was made to help others along their way, to make their paths easier. After all, I am the shadow of the Duck Pond.