My World

There's something to be said about the simple life.  Lazy days sitting on the porch swing, sipping lemonade, watching the sun go down, and dreaming.  Hopefully the time is shared with someone you love.  Perhaps a school chum, a family member, or simply enjoying the solitude of time alone after a long work day.  I call it "thinking time" which to me means reflecting on the day, the moment or the hopes for tomorrow.

We all need time to be quiet and simply "be" in the moment. Settled down, peaceful, listening to the songs of nature, watching hummingbirds in flight or fight, or enjoying the antics of the friendly woodchuck vying for his place in the world against feral cats. Simple pleasures we often overlook, because we get so busy "doing", existing, competing.  Taking time to be grateful for the incredible richness of life!  We may not have all we want, but we do usually have what we need, if we really look.

I feel sorry for kids today who haven't experienced the life I had as a country gal growing up in Virginia.  We didn't have all the gadgets and gismos children have today to occupy their time.  I even remember a time without television.  To me it was a real treat to go visit my grandparents, papa and grammy, when on Saturday nights we watched Lawrence Welk or Roller Derby.  Whereas this may appear boring to most it was heaven to me.  Not really the tv shows, but the company I kept.

Going to my grandparents' home was a true adventure.  I had the great woods around me to explore the streams, climb the rocks, build branch and leaves fortresses, and ride my valiant tree limb stallion.  I'd rake leaves just to roll down the hill and watch them fly.  My cousin and I used to have so much fun!  Playing in the smoke house with broken shards of pottery or pieces of broken china we scrounged out of the earth from previous players. My childhood holds a wonderful blend of explorations and discoveries.  I think that's why I see wonder in the simple things in life.

Many people long for travel to foreign lands to sleep in the finest hotels, shop in pricey boutiques, and dine at elegant restaurants.  These are good dreams, but my longings are more imaginative.  I have always wanted to backpack across Europe or visit the jungles of Africa to meet and experience the everyday lives of the people I encounter along the way, to share in their ways of living, listen to their stories, and see the beautiful world God created for us to enjoy.

I travel almost daily along the back roads of New Mexico, off the beaten path I know so well.  There's not a bump in the road or a flooding arroyo I have not encountered, villages some dare not go, but I love it all.  The more unlovely it appears to others, all the more desirable it is to me.  There is beauty in the places, in the faces everywhere I go.  I love my little place in this world and these precious people I call my friends.  There is no pretense of worldliness here, only the simple life.  A place I hold dear, where I can drink in the natural beauty and breathe the fresh air!  So liberating!