Don’t go another day without visiting a park.
There is just something about digging your own little toes in the dirt. There is something about sitting cross legged in the grass while picking at each blade that surrounds you. There is just something about lying on the ground staring at the brilliantly blue sky and thinking, ” Wow, what a wonderfully simple day.”
It’s getting close to the end of the year, which means all kinds of deadlines are due. To shed some light on my current situation, I am a junior graduating a year early. As of August last year I officially became a member of the 2012 graduating class, which I couldn’t be more honored that they are having me and are more than welcoming to me. But what this also meant was I had one less year to figure things out, one less year to work on test scores, one less year to plan my freaking life.
In light of that, my biggest weakness is still that I don’t plan a single thing; so when my guidance counselor told me I would need to have each and every element done by a certain date, it was overwhelming, just like it was for every other senior. Luckily, it’s the end of March; the worst of it is over and the best is yet to come, which means more time for me and my lovely partners in crime to have the time of our lives for the end of the year, creating the perfect way to start the next chapter.
In other words, life has yet to slow down.
The calendar is full and events are being planned. However, I do take my days off. I spent one of those days at Bethel park. The weather was perfect and the water glistened as if it was a pool full of a million crystals. After taking in the surroundings, my company and I furthered the classic park day experience by tossing a football. Yes, yes for those of you that know me the image of my arm swinging if an effort toward a spiral is the biggest laugh of your day, but you would be surprised, my friends. The laid-back environment stirred up easy conversation and a lightheartedness that isn’t seen every day. The laughter rolled off the tip of my tongue with ease, all because of the beautiful day at the park.
Everyone has stressors, whether it is because graduation is creeping up and decisions need to be made or it’s a rough day at work and social issues nag at you. Problems are inescapable. But the best part about these problems is without them we wouldn’t realize how wonderful a simple day at the park really is. Without the bad days, we wouldn’t appreciate the good ones. Those blades of grass are a simple, beautiful thing in life.
So don’t go another day without visiting a park.
By Sonya Francis