Slowing Down

This is one of those days where I find myself wanting to just walk around the mall. I left the forum early and decided to walk to Greenbelt 1. It was another trek down memory lane. I remember myself in pajamas or plain house clothes walking on a Saturday night to grab a tall cappuccino from Starbucks just to stay awake and finish a pack of case studies.

It was a separate life. A life I am no longer familiar with now. And it feels quite awkward to have myself remember that I once had that life but not feel any familiarity at all to it. This must be what temporary amnesia feels like.

This Greenbelt Mall has changed a lot. It looks so new I can barely find my way. Some of the shops are still closed. I realized that I liked walking around an empty mall. The vastness is overwhelming and I liked feeling small. The afternoon was just right. It wasn't hot because it just rained. It felt like I was in a different country when I stepped out into the open space where landscaped gardens connected one part of the mall to another. It was no longer a small time hang-out. I don't think I can walk around in pajamas in there now, I thought to myself.

I kept walking till I reached the fountain right infront of Seattle's Best (familiar ground) and saw this tree that was growing sideways instead of upright. It was a peculiar kind of growth when I saw branches curving in a spiral motion going to the side instead of up. How quaint, I thought to myself and decided to take a snapshot.

I knew that tree branches could be contoured to grow a certain way. But I never saw one that was being grown like that. I've probably passed this tree many times but I never noticed it. It's funny what you notice when you slow your life down.