Saturday, January 29, 2011

Lazy Afternoons

More and more I have come to appreciate the lazy afternoon. Not a lazy afternoon as in having the tv on blaring away mindless drivel at you, but a lazy afternoon of quiet and serenity, reading a book, e-mails or sipping wine and chatting on line with a friend. The kind of day where weather permits you to take advantage of a gentle breeze and feeling the suns warmth on your skin. I can hear the birds chirp, squirrels chattering and the occasional laughter of the neighborhood children playing. Moments like this help cleanse the soul of the noise and clutter that stresses me out the rest of the week. While I know I have to rejoin the rat race, this helps me cope with it. I find the quiet soothing and enjoying sitting for a spell. Am I turning into an old fart? I watch children go, go , go; teenagers plug into their I-Pods and blast music into their heads while texting to 20 friends at one time; young adults scurry past in a hurry to get to their next destination. Maybe as I get older my head can't handle all the auditory bustle and needs a time out. Maybe thats why my father takes naps now. It isn't that his body is getting old, its just taking a break from all the crap that civilization throws at it. I sat and watched a legion of ants break down and cart off a roach carcass. Ew you say.....have you ever watched them? It's amazing! And its free entertainment from mother nature. I was disconnected from everything around me. A nose poke from my cat brought me back to reality. I would guess that living on my own allows me to move at my own pace and maybe has given me an advantage to enjoy more restful afternoons before hitting the golden years. I must say I highly recommend stopping to smell the roses but why not stop and listen to the breeze and mother natures chorus. You won't hyperventilate.