sandracarringtonsmith's blog

a ride on the polar express

 abuse

As djofraleigh had rightfully feared, I had a wonderful opportunity, yesterday, to find something interesting to observe at the Toy Train Show which took place at the NC State Fairgrounds.

Aside from the marvel of these tiny pieces of treasure – small enough to fit on a table, but powerful enough to pull the inner child out of every man in the room – what was truly stunning was the atmosphere of absolute timelessness that wrapped all visitors in a warm embrace. Everyone smiled, and the only sounds audible in the room –above the chirping of excited chatter – were those of train whistles and engines running.

The world outside –with its hardship and delusions – was kept at bay by a cheerful lady at the entrance, who smiled warmly and handed out candy canes. It was truly an amazing feeling - the type one experiences when enthralled in something very special to their heart.

The feeling of timelessness is always present when we indulge our true passions; in my case, time disappears when I’m writing. When I was immersed in writing my novel, I would not start working on it until everyone went to bed; I cannot count the times I would look at the clock and see it was ten o’clock; after what felt like five minutes, I would pull my head up and realize it was three o’clock in the morning. Five hours had passed by, but they had felt no longer than a breath. The next morning – after merely three hours of sleep – I would wake up happy and refreshed.

My husband experiences timelessness when he’s fishing. Somehow, while he’s sitting there waiting for a bite, he merges with all there is, and time no longer matters. There have been times when I have anxiously wondered about his safety – since he was hours late from the time he had estimated to be home – just to see him walking through the door, with not a care in the world and still filled with the wonders of his own calling.

Discovering our heart’s true passion can be a bridge toward the inner Promised Land, as it allows us the opportunity to step out of a stage of daily troubles - if only for a short while - and take center stage in a wondrous play where hardship does not exist. Rather than looking for their individual passion, many seek that island of peace in a bottle, or drugs that will numb them for a while. Finding that which stops time for us is like finding an endless spring of water, as opposed to an artificial stream which will dry out during a drought.  Once we find it, we are able to step out of the daily picture and truly see all the details we can’t notice while we are a part of it.

I left the show with a little more than I arrived there with; I didn’t purchase any trains, or decide to take on a new hobby, but I got to capture something far more rewarding, and for a short while, we all felt as if we were aboard the Polar Express.