Boulevards are usually wide streets in cities, designed perfectly for walking, biking, driving, and viewing the city. But ours is a different one, though it serves the same purpose.
Our Athletic District Meet is fast approaching. We had to start training our athletes for the said event as they will represent our school. It would be our great pride when they get qualified to the next level, just like last school year. Wednesday afternoons are their training hours. And yesterday, we decided to have our training somewhere where they can have enough space to move and run freely.
Twenty minutes walk away from our school is a place that everybody calls "the boulevard". I haven't visited the place yet, so I agreed with the suggestion. I had to go with the athletes as their coach. And that road they called "the boulevard" somehow captures my heart.
The rough road we walked going to the boulevard.
It isn't the typical boulevard in the urban sense. It is a quiet rural road stretching through wide green rice fields facing the magnificent Mount Malindang. The road is bordered by low concrete barriers, which separate it from the fields. No traffic lights, just lush green rice paddies on both sides, giving it a refreshing countryside feel.
Using my student's mobile phone, a Techno Spark Go, I captured photos with her permission. My phone ran out of battery, and I left my charger at home, but I couldn't let the moment slip away without taking snaps of memories.
Our athletes enjoyed their outdoor training, breathing colder and fresher air from the fields, while our eyes were feasting on the relaxation offered by the green rice fields and the blue hue of Mount Malindang.
We saw some kids having their afternoon hike. These kids were coming from the small community of Balugo, Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur, where "the boulevard" is situated.
It was not only the few people who enjoyed the serenity and the gift of relaxation that the boulevard offers. Goats also walk freely in the street. Enjoying the few grasses beside the road.
This young boy told me not to take photos of his goats very close, or his goats will die. I found it funny, but I never laugh at all. I respect his beliefs, and he has the right to protect what he believes in. Someday he will learn more things anyway.
These young athletes dream big. They love to be qualified to the next level, yet these dreams will remain dreams unless they work hard for them. In this Boulevard of Peaceful Dreams, may their dreams come true.