Recharge

I've been ignoring my garden lately which isn't like me, normally I take a lot of pride in it. But as I've mentioned before, it has been so damn hot lately, that I haven't had any motivation to do anything. Today, I decided I would get up early and go out and look after it because it's become pretty obvious that it won't look after itself. Surprisingly, it really was not too out of control and nothing that a little TLC couldn't fix. 
What I realized, once I got out there, was I needed some TLC too!  


Since this summer has been so abnormally warm we haven't done much lately, except sit in the veranda and enjoy cold beverages. We also haven't been to the lake in a few weeks and I don't think I realized how much I missed being outside with the bugs and the dirt and the sweat beading on your brow (all that good stuff). The important thing for me was simply being out there in the garden. And as Wendell Berry says:

One of the most important resources that a garden makes available for use, is the gardener's own body. A garden gives the body the dignity of working in its own support. It is a way of rejoining the human race.

I guess I take for granted how lucky I am, that I am able to escape the city and head out to the country.  Even when I was a kid, growing up in the suburbs of New York City, I went to my dad's house in the mountains nearly every other weekend. As a result, I was able to lose myself in the backwoods and that probably saved my life. I really enjoyed being outside and I spent a lot of my time by myself. I had my little forts and would hang out in the woods with my dog. I had my imaginary friends and I loved collecting salamanders for 'temporary' pets. It was a crucial part of me becoming me and I think it's something that many kids today don't get to do.


I look at the kids in my neighbourhood and my nieces and nephews and see that they don't spend time outside. Basically they watch videos and play video games and they text their friends, but I rarely see them playing outside. For example, even when my nieces and nephews are at the lake, it would never occur to them to go for a walk or to go exploring or say let's go see if we can find some berries to pick. When they get hot they will go swimming, but then it's back inside to watch a movie.  Thankfully, my littlest niece and nephew love to go on a nature walk with auntie, but the older ones - they just aren't interested. And it isn't just my in-laws, it's an epidemic.


Spending time outdoors is really important, I know it has made a big difference in my life. Hopefully, we going to the lake this weekend and I can recharge my spiritual batteries.

Let's go for a walk!