Article November 28, 2022 Issue

The lady by the lake

I learned a spiritual lesson about not accepting illusions as reality.

Galeeta Wainwright

Behind our house there are woods with tall pine trees. Beyond that is a meadow with a lake. Where the woods and meadow meet is an old picnic table. I love to sit there in the evening and watch the birds return to roost for the night after a busy day of foraging.

One night I was taking in this lovely scene when I noticed a lady several yards away. I didn’t want to disturb her solitude, so I quickly looked away. After ten or fifteen minutes, I looked back, and she was still there. She was wearing a white shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers. Long blond hair hung down her back. And she was standing in the same position as before, with one foot tucked behind the other. I was surprised that she could stand in that position for so long.

As I continued to glance back every few minutes, she never moved. I decided it must be a mannequin or a trick someone was playing. At that point, I snapped a picture with my cellphone before going home.

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