relax with turtles

I slipped out through the slightly open patio door and navigated the garden path until I reached the neighborhood pocket park. The desk was getting far too stuffy. Near the water's edge, nestled among smooth river pebbles and tall reeds, sat an absolute master of stillness: a small green turtle sunning itself on a flat shale slab. I didn't rush in. I dropped low onto one knee, keeping my boots firmly anchored in the damp moss, and slowly mirrored its steady, unblinking posture. We held a quiet conference for two whole minutes. When it stretched its neck without retreating into its shell, I knew I had passed the audition.