What is déjà vu?
It’s a French word, describing a situation where one feels like they experienced their current situation before. To me, it is a small clearing in the forest. One with a fallen log that makes an excellent makeshift bench. Déjà vu is some large rocks that likely lined the perimeter of a fire. Time has worked tirelessly to destroy the evidence, but I am sure people once camped here. Déjà vu is seven trees that surround this clearing, marking the entrance to an endless forest. Finally, déjà vu is a tree stump, the one that grew the makeshift bench protecting my pants from the damp dirt below.
I haven’t been here before, I am sure of it, this is my first time hiking this trail, but when you spend enough time in the woods, it all starts to blend. I tripped on a fallen branch earlier. My leg is bleeding, but I carry a first aid kit for a reason. I think I also hit my head. It only took a few minutes before I was up and hiking again. The early morning sun and my mostly full water bottle guides me forward on the well-marked trail, and I left the oddly familiar clearing behind. The trail guided me onward. The sun slowly rising as I ascended the mountain one step at a time. After what I think was a little over an hour of walking, my stomach requested lunch. I packed light, just a simple peanut butter sandwich, if I wanted something fancy, I would have stayed home. I decided to stop at the next place I found where I could comfortably sit and eat.
Finally, I approached the clearing, and have you ever thought about déjà vu? It’s a French word, describing a situation where one feels like they experienced their current situation before. Like this clearing, the fallen log that makes an excellent bench, some large rocks, the seven trees and a tree stump. Why am I here? How am I here? Of course, this can’t be the same clearing, but I didn’t like it. “Lunch can wait” I told myself and continued forward. I bet the next place I find will be high enough to have a decent view. I left the clearing and continued on the winding path further up mountain.
Another thirty minutes pass, my stomach started demanding I find a place for lunch. Another clearing in the woods came into view. A fallen log, large rocks, seven trees and a stump. Suddenly finishing this trail didn’t seem like the best idea, and I could eat my sandwich on the way down. Before I left, I moved one of the rocks to the center of the fire pit. I don’t believe in magical clearings in the forest on a mountain, but it certainly couldn’t hurt to sooth my nerves.
I finished the sandwich and reached second clearing I found. You know, the fallen log that makes an excellent branch, some large rocks that likely lined the perimeter of a fire, with one rock in the center. Seven close trees marking the entrance to the endless forest, and a tree stump. I guess I was overreacting after all, just three normal clearings. Whoever made this trail had an odd sense of humor. I continued down the mountain, smiling at my unfounded paranoia. It clearly wasn’t the same clearing, after all, I moved the rock. I moved…. The rock…. I moved the rock at the third clearing. Suddenly I felt alone. I was alone, I always hike alone, but now I felt alone. Is this a prank? I yelled into the empty woods. There was no reply. The very silence I came here to enjoy was suddenly deafening. I increased my pace. I hummed a song, but it could not drown out the silence. I turned on some music and sang along. The silence got louder.
Finally, I approached the first clearing I found. The fallen log still made an excellent bench, and the rock was right where I left it in the center of the pit. The sun in the sky told me it was almost 2:00 pm. I began to run, every step disturbing sticks and leaves. I could hear my heart racing and my breathing get heavy, but they could not defend me from the growing silence. My run turned into a sprint. I hit a fallen branch, and my sprint turned into a tumble. I tumbled down the mountain, and into a clearing. A clearing. The clearing. The one with a log that makes an excellent bench, a circle of rocks with one in the center, the seven trees and a stump.
My leg is bleeding, and I think I hit my head?
Can anyone hear me?
What is déjà vu?