We live in an age of gadgets, widgets, gizmos, and I-Stuff like pads & pods. We derive both function and pleasure from things that are not at all simple . . . things so intricately planned, engineered, and wrought as to defy even the imaginations of our ancestors. Things that calculate, replicate, facilitate, and stimulate are now the fabric of our lives. Sorry Cotton.
When I was a kid, my parents urged me to entertain myself on roadtrips by enjoying the scenery. My precious mother would say stuff like, "Oooh look, the world's deepest artesian well!" or "Wouldn't it be great if we ever actually did See Rock City". Personally, I always just sat there and wondered what Burma had to do with shaving. As I write this, I realize that my younger friends don't even know what I'm talking about. Trust me, the point is that I didn't have a DVD or MP3 player at my disposal on those treks to grandma's. Oh, and while I'm at it, that's not Bieber hair, it's Beatle hair. Look it up.
Yep, the world is a different place serving up all sorts of fancy ways to while away the time. Modern folk demand a whole lot of bells and whistles to bring them satisfaction and most of it might be a strain on the ol' pocketbook in these tough economic times. So, in the interest of providing a public service for those who may have had to pawn their laptops and put their I-Stuff on E-Bay, I offer the following list of simple pleasures, stuff that won't cost you much, if anything, and is sure to please:
- Sit in the grass. My grandkids love it and you will too.
- Drink sweet tea. I'm not talking about that stuff restaurants call sweet tea, I'm talking about that kind my Mama down in Alabama makes, the kind you can pour on pancakes if the mood strikes you.
- Hold somebody's hand, whether it's somebody you're courting or comforting makes little difference.
- Smell a freshly washed and lotioned up baby. If you don't have a baby to sniff, try puppy breath. Hey, my tastes are eclectic.
- Eat something bad for you. Anything that tastes good qualifies.
- If you're my age, just sit around and remember stuff. You will find great pleasure in knowing you haven't forgotten everything. That is, unless you HAVE forgotten everything. In that case, forget this one.
- Find some movie on TV that is so old that Ted Turner hasn't colorized it. Watch it. If it's that old, chances are it's OK. If it's got somebody named ""Hoot" or "Hopalong" in it, all the better.
- Scratch a dog's ear. I suppose it might work with cats. Probably not.
Try something here, or think up your own stuff. Share yours with me if you are so inclined. I purposely left off some just so I could see if you get happy over some of the same stuff I do.
Thank me when you see me. I'll be the guy drinking sweet tea, sitting on the grass in the park. The one holding my wife's hand and scratching my dog's ear. Oh, and grinnin' like a mule eatin' briers.
Dr. Mike
Wow! Felt just like I was reading E.B. White. I'm very impressed and look forward to future entries. You may have found your second calling!
ReplyDeleteI think I remember you.....And, while you are sitting on the grass, look up at the clouds and see all the things those clouds look like. And, on a cold, winter night have some hot chocolate made from real milk and real cocoa, and holding hands while you drift off to sleep is still "in" around my house. Yep, I remember.....
ReplyDeleteAdmiring a sunset and looking at old barns are my simple pleasures.
ReplyDeletesomeone once told me the more we try to simplify our lives the more chaos we create. Fast food for our hectic lives just lets us get more hectic and creates health issues! It is almost like medications - you take one for this ache and then you have to take two more for the side effects from the fist pill, and so on and so on...
ReplyDeleteIt is truly the simple things in life that are the greatest. I remember summer camping trips, laying in the grass at night looking at all the stars in the sky - what a SIGHT! Walking through the woods, taking in the sights and sounds, WOW - just listen...so peaceful! If we slow down and appreciate the blessings God has given, how could we want anything more! He has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams!
When my sister and I were little, we used to run out in the snow and see how big of a snowman we could make.(man, were we cute hee hee) We would end the day by eating some good ol' snow cream (snow, vanallia, sugar, and evaporated milk).
ReplyDeleteGreat post....It is the simple things in life that we seem to have forgotten in this fastpaced world
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