Yesterday, at around 6:30 pm, my husband and I walked down Myrtle Place in our neighborhood. I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt and lamenting the temperature. My husband said something like, “be here now,” which I took as a not very empathetic comment. I said, “I am here now. I am hot, sweaty, and getting eaten by mosquitoes.” What I didn’t say out loud, but we both knew I was thinking, was that it is only April 3 and I am not looking forward to many months of hot, humid weather when I feel forced to stay inside. My view of the months ahead felt limited and constrained.
This morning I awoke to a chill in the air. I knew that I wanted to write this story and wasn’t clear on my topic. As I often do before writing, I decided to go for a walk to gain some inspiration and clarity. I checked my weather app and it was 56 degrees out. Yes! I put on long pants and a sweat shirt and headed outside. As I walked along Myrtle Place again today, my view was different. It had rained last night and the leaves on the trees sparkled a bright green. On both walks, I noticed the abundance of red roses in bloom, but today my perspective shifted.
I started to think about how I might change my focus about the months ahead. What might I do, how might I think and be so that the long summer is not an insurmountable problem for me? I don’t have it figured out yet, but I feel a bit better today.
What is ahead for you today? How are you looking at your life from a variety of perspectives?
Lagniappe
Our cat likes to change up her view. Last week she favored the clean clothes in the laundry basket. This week she prefers her perch from where she can look out at the back yard. A couple of weeks ago, she nestled in pillows. Sometimes it just helps to change things up.
Two lovely videos by Maira Kalman: