As I walked around the peaceful lake in my home town for the first time since October, I mulled this entry over. I wanted to make sure this post would be well informed, and something I knew fully. I didn’t want to spill and tell everyone my intellectual secrets, wasting future topics right off the bat, so choosing was key. Normally I have my earphones plugged into my cell phone (no iPod...) when I go for these lovely two hour walks so I won’t find myself in a one person conversation. However, since that was the very goal today, I left the earphones at home and ventured out into the wilderness within town limits intent on finding the perfect entry. These walks are usually plagued by mosquitoes, bees and the occasional town idiot on his four-wheeler on a path that is clearly marked ‘no motorized vehicles’. I even came upon three young girls riding their horses down the trail once, which was something I had often considered doing myself, but then thought better of it. Today, aside from mere exercise, my much awaited walk was a needed break from FreeCell and Sudoku puzzles, and my futile attempts at regaining my musical abilities via my guitar.
Then I realized that this is my topic. That is to say, the simple things in life which leave you at ease with the world. Maybe it’s a jog in the morning, perhaps an hour in front of the television watching your favourite show. Whatever it is, it takes you away from the stress of everyday life and resets your perspective for the day.
Many of us don’t take the time out for ourselves to reset in such a way. I go for months without enjoying any of the simple pleasures that put my mind at ease, usually during the wintertime. If I lived in a warmer climate (perhaps year round sunshine and beach weather) I might find myself engaging in activities that I enjoy so much.
I often find myself mindlessly playing FreeCell, averaging 2 minutes per game before clicking ‘okay’ to start the next deal. This has led to a scary level of mastery of the game that I never intended to achieve. My current statistics tell of a 100% win streak, 860 games won, 0 lost. In previous times I have had more than one thousand games won in a row, and every time I do lose a game, I reset the score and start over again. These past 860 games have been played within the last two weeks or less, and as I think about it, have been a complete waste of time.
I also recently rekindled my love affair with Sudoku puzzles. I typically filled in the weekly puzzle in our regional newspaper, but in an attempt to clean out my closet that hasn’t been organized in years, I dug out a book of Sudoku puzzles and got sidetracked from my cleaning job. In the past four days, I’ve secretly completed 68 Sudoku puzzles. Also, I realize, an immense waste of time. I’m not going to lie, I’d like to think that these puzzles will really make me more intelligent, but somehow I don’t think they will.
So rather than waste more time, I went for a long walk around the lakes today, alone, in my home town. And suddenly I remembered why I had made a habit out of it in the past. A pair of Canadian geese was twelve feet from me, with their eight goslings. I spent two hours listening to ducks splashing in the lake, birds chirping and singing in the trees, the occasional squirrel scurrying up a tree, and the flitting wings of dragonflies. The lilac bushes are in full bloom and the fragrances of the wild shrubs, trees and flowers filled the area, building on the scent of the woodchip pathway. This puts me at ease. It takes me back to nature, to a place where none of the stresses of life matter.
I’ve also found myself enjoying a game of soccer with my dog. Or a Frisbee session, or even just sitting outside on a warm, sunny day with him lying next to me. I used to take him for walks, but he’s in need of obedience training and the walks are less peaceful than I’d like. A good book, a few moments with a guitar in a quiet place, or a beautiful place with a pencil and notebook are also on my list of simple things that put me at ease with the world.
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