Summer Night Bliss: Moments I and II
July 19, 2010 2 Comments
The back-story first.
It has been one of those long workdays. Not hard just long. The “I left at 6:60 got home at 8” long. Flew to Minneapolis for a 45 minute meeting to try to sell some work. I have been in a modest funk lately. It seems as if all I do is work and sleep. Only complaining a little. Really. I am reasonably health and employed. That is all good.
On the drive home I decide to stop and pick up food for the cats. I pull into the lot, get out of the car and it happens. Moment I. I look back over my shoulder as I start walking into the store. It is a warm and humid summer night. Something like Cat On A Hot Tin Roof warm and humid. I am in a white long sleeve shirt with my sleeves rolled up and wearing dressy black slacks. Looking young Paul Newman-ish (with emphasis on the ish).
I look back over my shoulder and it hits me that it is 8 at night and still very much light out. The sun has begun to sink but at that moment, I am at the end of my day in the warmth and the sun. The tension of the day, the ordinariness of the day, melts away and for that moment I am blissful.
I am not sure why exactly. After all I am standing on the concrete of a parking lot between the Home Depot and the Petsmart. However, one of my few rules is that when you feel like that don’t over-think it. Say thank you and revel in it.
Even when I left the store ten minutes later things had changed. The light was different. The moment was gone.
I arrive home. My 70-something next door neighbor is sitting on a blanket in his backyard, Sitting, leaning back on his arms. Wearing shorts with his very white 70-something legs showing and two little grandchildren running around him having the time of their lives with Grandpa. Moment II.
I know that this was really his moment. But it was also mine. Something about that Norman Rockwell moment made me smile. Big time.
Now as I write I am serenaded by the crickets –actually they are so loud they sound as if they are about to take over. Let them. I have had my moments.
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Rick,
Beautiful posting – so poetic.
I know exactly what you mean about those moments of bliss; words often fail to describe them, they just occur and you revel in them.
BTW, I am sure if you looked at all like Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, then their were a few “Maggie the Cat” types purring in appreciation! 😉
The only thing I have in common with Paul are blue eyes and not as blue as his.
Thanks for commenting on the blog as well as FB. Not only is FB blocked at work so I cannot check messages but also I am still into older social networking such as blogs. I don’t even Tweet.