20 FAKE PLASTIC TREES

I get to class a little early, it was just me a few other students. I decided to walk to walk to school by myself today. After meeting with the Shinrinyoku, my life has changed. In a lot of ways, it is not my life anymore. This feels like what people have said about taking acid. The person that I had always assumed to be me, the life that I always assumed to be mine, was a lie. A bold face lie.

Looking out of the window, the sun is shinning as the day begins to roll out. I have sat in this same exact seat so many times this school year. But I have never, ever noticed the view. Instead, I allowed myself to be caught up in whatever drama of the day was being told to me. Looking for something to engage with. Looking for something rather than seeing what has been right in front of me this whole time.

“What are you looking at?” A French boy named Fredrich asked me.

“Oh, nothing. Just admiring the sun.”

“Is there something special going on with the sun today?”