Confronting the Open Wind

The indoor walls were growing too small for my spirit, so I slipped through the gap in the sliding screen door and marched out onto the balcony. A broad concrete parapet rose before me like an outer rampart. I climbed using the rough texture of the wall until I hoisted myself onto the flat, sun-warmed ledge. Out here, the city of Tampa stretched wide under the overcast sky. A sudden gust of wind hit me head-on, whipping my headband outward. I did not step back; I dropped into a rooted stance, gripped the coarse concrete with my feet, and stood resolute against the open air.