Peace at Last

THE SUN had just risen, and a mist was coming off the Neckar River as it flowed slowly past the outskirts of the town of Heidelberg, in West Germany. An elderly man stood by the river's edge, fishing. It was a tranquil scene. I had pulled my car over to the side of the road and gotten out. However, as I stood there, I felt anything but tranquil. I was coming back from another night of nonstop drinking, as I had been doing for months on end. I felt full of chaos and confusion, and, having come rather unexpectedly upon the sight of such deep peace, I began to experience a profound sense of sadness. I knew that serenity was not for me.