Amidst the chaos of chatter and mediocre jokes, she would take a moment to herself - with that image that always came to mind:
Seeing herself as an old lady, sitting with her feet dug deep into the bottom of a cold pond. Where both pleasure and discomfort were equally welcome for the sake of experience. Where every breath felt raw and deep, and every sound felt bright and correct. Where no one could see her, and where she was the only witness to her own existence - acutely alive - in a paradise, small and hidden away, somewhere in the future. Just for a moment.
Then she would open her eyes before anyone could ask her why she closed them.
Rick Vito, August 2022 DALL·E 2 and Digital paint