ENTRY 02 - WALKING AND BREATHING

Presence. Intention. Craft.
JANUARY 26, 2026 - PORTLAND, OR - CLOUDY - 41F

What I noticed

• Ice held in the grooves worn into the steeper climbs, still in shadow.
• A silence formed under the cloud cover, separating the machines of industry on one side of the river from the sanctuary of the forest on the other.

What worked

• Inhale: one step, two, three, four. Exhale. Repeat.
• My mind rode a cloud now and then, then returned to the climb and the steps.
• Eventually the clouds lifted and a little sun came through. Eventually the tight, tired body found rhythm and length.

In the margin

The voices that tell me what I should are often close to what I want—and it still helps to choose for tomorrow.