We have a very beautiful park in my town featuring a couple of lakes, many acres of greenery and some gardens. It is not uncommon to see wedding parties in the summer months take advantage of the location. It is also my favorite place for a picnic - conceptually. The reality of the summer months include bugs of different sorts, flies and mosquitoes. I happen to draw them to myself almost exclusively no matter who else is with me. The only person I know that these creatures favor over me is J. So when she was still home, we talked about picnic in the park in idea terms knowing full well we were unlikely to actually implement it. We hung out a coffee shops and in the museum if we both had something to do but wanted a change of scenery away from home.
A couple of week ago, I finally realized my idea of having a picnic in the park. Something any number of other people have done innumerable times in their lives. For me it was a novel experience entirely to lay on the grass beneath the shade of a large oak tree and observe my surroundings from there. The flies continued to be a nuisance as long as there was any visible food around but thankfully there were no creatures that bit. My thoughts turned to how it feels to lay on the earth - and how it is an unifying, equalizing experience no matter who you are and what part of the world you are in. It also brought back childhood memories of laying in our sunny verandah on winter weekends. A big tree outside provided some shade but did not take away the warmth of the sun. I had a mat to lay on and a cotton quilt to cover myself up with. Those were some of the best naps of my life - the definition of what it took to make an afternoon perfect. That feeling returned to me ever so fleetingly that afternoon in the park.
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