We forget how to enjoy the simple things, yet take such pleasure in re-discovering them as if they were new. Sometimes we need to force ourselves to take a time-out, to jump off the merry-go-round, press pause on the game of life. It doesn’t always seem like a good idea at the time – we’ve got bills to pay, deadlines to meet, and bridges to burn – but a stroll in the park on a sunny day is the perfect tonic.
When we’re young we mistake freedom from responsibility for boredom, and can’t wait to replace it with busy-ness and hustle.
We lament our lack of independence, but really we’re just free of the commitments that will eventually be piled on by a world that gradually sucks us in.
We are frustrated at the slow pace of life and can’t wait to be older, but can’t see that its experiences we want to collect, not time.
So slide the controls over to cruise, grab a hat and sunnys, a rug, and a friend of any age. (Resist the urge to take your smart phone.)
Find a nice grassy spot near a shady tree, enjoy the warm sun and listen to the happy chatter of the birds above. It’s your space for the day, except for a ball which gently rolls over the corner of your rug. A child runs past and lets out a giggle. They’re playing a game but there’s no score, no time clock, no rush.
Feel the cool, coarse grass, breathe in that earthy smell you just can’t get in an air-conditioned office, car or shopping mall.
The sun is sliding down now, the air is warm with the scent of blossom, and the beer garden across the way at the Shakespeare’s Arms is beckoning, promising a cold pint and crispy fat chips.
You swear you have just captured how you felt this day and will remember to come again.
