Grass and Sand
A blanket, some refreshments, a tall tree, or large canopy. You ease in to a picnic. You wander around until you find the right spot. You may bring a Frisbee to get some exercise, or a good book to just sink into a quiet niche, with a cold lemonade. The sayings go "Life isn't always a picnic, or life isn't always a day at the beach." I have heard both. I guess it all depends on your ideal outside excursion. If you live near a beautiful park, or on a coastline, an afternoon outside, might be your jam. But, in an urban area, with little sandy solitude or grassy knolls, inside might be more to your liking. If a beach is nearby, a quick dip in the ocean might be a weekly event. If you have options, you are more likely to partake in the offerings.
Like life, where you live, play and relax is dependent not only on your location, but your personality and outlook, as well. I grew up at the beach, it was literally a two-minute walk from my high school. I however, gazed upon it daily, but only in the evening, did I venture onto it. I am not a sunlight person, I prefer the shade of a park. You often take for granted what is right in front of your eyes. These wonderment's are still a beauty to behold, we see them for their glory, we simply forget to pause and take it all in. Do you make lemonade from lemons, or do you use the juice to remove grease and grim? Either way, lemons have multiple functions. Its your need and purpose, that decides how you ultimately use them. How often do you hear the waves splash on the shore, feel the cool breeze, but focus on the hot sand burning your feet?
The reverberation in the halls, alternates between silence and laughter. Students are taking finals, this last week of school, and the mood may trough, to a focused energy, but soon after each bell, it crests into a wave of sheer excitement. The end is near. The wave is about to break on the shore and everyone is riding the surf. Boards are all pointed towards the beach. While some are in wet suits and ready for the undertow, others are paddling slowly, trying to avoid the larger peaks and ridges. Either way, everyone will float onto the sand in three days. They have left a footprint that will be everlasting, regardless of tide. Whether on grass or sand, park or beach, a picnic is based around family and friends. If the drink of choice is, lemonade or fruit punch, it doesn't matter, as long as the weather is good and the ants are at bay, fun is on the horizon.
Weathering and Deposition
A school year, like a sandcastle, is both sturdy and solid, with the right amount of planning and foundation. If you build it far enough away from the tide, it will prevail, at least for awhile. If the water to sand ratio is not consistent, it will topple quickly. It takes patience, buckets and shovels and a keen eye. You have to be observant, not only of the ocean, but of pedestrians on the beach. There is always commotion nearby, you have to anticipate it. Each wall, building the structure, each class, adding a layer to the day. Every grain: large silica, or shiny quartz, adding to the composition. While some beaches are smooth and silky, others chunky, with shells and coral.
Regardless of texture, however, beaches are revered, visited and appreciated. Many tourists and locals pass through, parks and beaches, many build their residences near by, get comfortable, build a community, in their adjacency. These landscapes are a selling point for any realtor. Their qualities and characteristics, a desire for students in their classrooms. For teachers, who traverse many different environs every day. In the morning it might be a woodland area, shaded and relaxing. By, the afternoon it may be a bustling lake shore. They must be able to navigate smoothly, to avoid disturbance.
There may be forecasts of impending weather conditions, or circumstances that close off the area from fellow travelers. There may be obstacles and events that create setbacks and succession. But, there are also sunny days and beautiful memories. Children frolicking, dipping their feet in the water, or feeling the blades of grass, between their toes. This is what you do at the beach, play in the sand. This is what you do at the park, lie on the lawn and embrace the serenity. This is when, you feel at home. You feel safe, you feel free. This is when you make memories.
We meet them, in a crowd, as our summer ends, with some unpredictability and uncertainty. They gather, on common ground, nervous and anticipatory. They seem very unfamiliar, but quickly we see a personality, behaviors emerge. Some visitors raise large, colorful umbrellas that they hunker down underneath. Others simply plop down on a towel and take in the scenery. Either way, they are present. They ventured to the sand and grass and are expecting a day out. Both recreational and rustic. They are carrying with them a basket, of expectations and requisite. They want to explore, but also feel a kinship with their landscape. If they are aware of their options, they might just step out from under the shade of their canopy and bask in the sun. Will you join them?
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