Friday, July 26, 2013

Suburban Solitude

In spite of the recent heatwave that pretty much backed Connecticut three times over so that it became completely jerked, I still enjoy sitting in the shady embrace that is Cedar Mountain.


I won't say that there's something magical about the mountain, but it does give me the necessary solitude that my spirit consistently craves for.

Think about it for a moment.

If you live in the country/backwoods, you're pretty much surrounded by the timeless beauty and natural healing power that is Mother & Father Nature. So all you really have to do whenever you need an attitude adjustment is to simply open your front or back door and step outside to the bask in the simplicity of what God has graced your world with.

But what if you live in suburbia?

How do you find that small slice of solitude while in the middle of the organized chaos that is city/suburban living? Chances are that you  live in a good neighborhood that is peaceful and content, yet devoid of anything that allows you to do the preceding paragraph justice. And because you can't do the preceding paragraph justice at your own home, you have to waste time, energy and money, to go someplace else and fulfill the preceding paragraph.


But if you happen to live in a neighborhood that somehow has managed to snag something from Mother & Father Nature (like my neighborhood for example), then you can pretty much do that particular preceding paragraph with only a few modifications.

Like: having a few bird feeders strewn about the front yard. All you have to do is either peer through the front window or the front door (w/o stepping onto the porch) and get your morning dose of what kind of feathered friends Mother Nature has to offer.


Or, if you need something heavier and more potent, you can walk through the back door and if you're even a little bit like me stroll to the side yard and take a seat under a quartet of trees.


If you close your eyes, the symphony that is (in my case) the mountain begins to play. From the gentle breeze that lazily makes it way down through the trees and glides across the road to caress your spirit, to the quiet singing/talking of Mother & Father Nature's most cherished feathered friends that lulls you to a quiet internal sleep and a external zone out.

Just even closing your eyes for several seconds as you walk to your car first thing in the morning is enough to get that small does of natural freshness to make an unbearable day a little more bearable.


The healing power of Mother & Father Nature i a truly memorable thing not only to have at your disposal when needed, but to experience as well.


Without it, life can be pretty much a pointless journey to nowhere.

17 comments:

  1. So very true, G. I regularly need does of nature to keep me sane and balanced. And we've got tons of trees here...a huge canopy...so it's easy to destress when necessary. I couldn't live without an abundance of nature - I'd shrivel up.

    Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

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  2. when I did live in suburbia I a fair amount of time at local parks.

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  3. I like making my wife go to the park to walk. Very peaceful.

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  4. Great photos and video. I live in the country and just love waking up every morning and breathing in the fresh air and taking in the views. Nothing like it.

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  5. It's wonderful when Nature envelopes us. It is good for the soul.

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  6. What a beautifully written post! I totally agree about recharging in nature. Luckily, although we live in a fairly urban area, we're very close to forests, lakes, and places to escape.

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  7. Talon: This is so very true. There are a lot of times where I just simply sit outside in my writing area and inhale the aroma that is Cedar Mountain. I'm probably overdue for a hike in the mountain as well.

    Bearman: I'm determined to do that once my wife gets back on her feet again. The road that runs by the mountain is absolutely perfect for walking.

    Charles: We really have only one decent park to relax in, and in the summer I try to ride my bike there whenever I can.

    Joe: I've seen your pics of where you live and I definitely envy where you live, 'cause it is to die for.

    Debra: It is definitely good for the sould, which is why I absolutely love where I live, and why I still enjoy taking the occasional drive in the east of the river to take in the scenery.

    M: Thanks.

    We all need that escape mechanicism to keep us sane from time to time.

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  8. I live in a rural area of solitude and peace near a beautiful lake...until a neighbor decides to hide a relative who has a felony warrant and two wild dogs who come to my quiet home and slaughter many of my chickens before I can blink.

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  9. G.A.: Ouch! That really bites (no pun intended)!

    Glad to see you back in the cyber world, you were missed.

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  10. Absolutely. I need to get outside for a walk every day, just like a dog, or I get edgy and restless. The walk has to be a minimum of 10 minutes, but I can go for a couple of hours if I have time. The more nature, the better, in almost any weather.

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  11. S.R.: I try to get out at least once a day at work. We have some trees and the back area becomes a very good wind tunnel.

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  12. "It does give me the necessary solitude that my spirit consistently craves for." I have a place like that too, G. Actually two. In the woods secluded where only the passing deer know my secrets. Gotta get back there.

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  13. David: The birds and the mountain are the only ones that know everything about me from day one to the present.

    And I like that just fine. :D

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  14. Beautiful scenery around you there. Isn't this a glorious time of year?

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  15. I must be lucky, because I live in yuppie suburbia, and at the edge of our housing development is a 20 mile long nature trail and bald eagle habitat. I literally have nature in my backyard, and I'm usually one of very few people out there walking, running, or cycling, since my fellow suburbanites seem to be above it.

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  16. ABtFS: I think a good chunk of suburbanites are loathe to do natural exercising.

    Sounds like you live in a very cool neighborhood.

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