I’m Hattie Collier and if you’ve been reading these postings you know I usually have something to complain about. Today would be no exception except for one thing: I sat on my back porch today. Now if you’re thinking ‘so what’ I don’t blame you. But this is what happened.
I’ve been so busy for the past year that I can barely think. What with vacationing with my friends and keeping them out of trouble, starting a business of my own, learning to drive and so on, it has not been easy to take some time off for me. Today, the thought suddenly came to me that I had not sat on my porch in…well I don’t know when. It seems like a century ago I did things like that. So with a cup of tea and a good book, I sat on the porch and settled down.
For a second, I thought I remembered why I didn’t sit outside. I could hear the kids at a nearby school screaming and laughing at recess. I could hear the loud engines of trash trucks as they empty trash cans and the clatter and rolling cans when they were thrown back in the yards and I could hear the roar of car engines being gunned on a nearby street. I was determined to ignore the distractions and start reading. Well, after a few minutes something happened; there was this eerie quiet that made me look up from my book. It seemed like there was no one on earth but me.
Slowly, I did notice sounds. There was a consistent chirping sound. Then I noticed lots of birds in the yard. Well when I was in high school many moons ago, I used to study birds and could recognize quite a few. Like I said, that was many moons ago. I did notice robins, and red birds, and I think I saw a morning dove or two. Two black birds flew over my head—my Lord, I didn’t know there were so many birds in my back yard!
I was thinking about starting a garden, so I started plotting out where I would put it. Now, Hattie, I thought, let’s not get carried away. When I looked up I could swear that the tree buds had opened a little! Now before you start pitying the mutterings of an old fool, let me tell you that I am not crazy. I didn’t actually see the buds open but for a moment is was like I could see them.
Let me stop right now before somebody starts fitting me for a straight jack. I’m trying to make a point. I sat on that porch watching birds, and bees and grass and watching trees sway in the wind. At that moment I was thinking, yes, there is war, famine, hatred and disease all over the world and every day of the week; but for this brief moment in time I really connected with nature and recognized that samples of all the greatness and the goodness of the universe were there in my backyard!
Anyway, the kids are back outside and some fool in blasting his radio so loud I can hear it all the way back here. Times up! I’m just saying; don’t forget there is beauty out there. Take time to smell the roses. Now muse on it.
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