Second day of 2008

It's the second day of 2008, bitterly cold.

I went out for a walk in the morning.  Not a single soul on the small, quiet street.  Felt like the entire world was frozen.  If not for the vehicles that stormed by from time to time, I almost thought the earth had stopped running.

My eyes were hurting and my nose couldn't feel a thing, but I was delighted to be out there, in the stillness of the bitter cold winter day.  For a moment I stopped and thought, if I turn around, would I see myself, walking towards me from the past?  How old was she?  30? 20? Teenager? Or a little girl?  Was she happy?   Where was she going?

I didn't turn.