New Englanders (and New Yorkers) can be rigid in their form: we like things how we like them; we don’t smile at strangers; we are forever complaining about the weather. It takes a tough nut to sprout ’round here.
Thank goodness for the change of seasons or else we might crack in our mold– as the old saying goes, “What doesn’t bend breaks.” The seasons force us to change and though we may fight it (or welcome it) life changes whether we like or not. This past Winter and Spring we had a wonderful bedtime flow going. It was cozy, ritualistic, and best of all, it was EARLY! I spent much of the month of June trying to hold onto the hibernating effects of Winter until Summer consumed me and finally, I gave into Summer evenings. Now that I’ve caught up with the natural flow of life, our evenings are back to smooth and wonderful, and most nights you’ll find us out walking.
It’s a time to meet new neighbors, stop and take a swing at the park, reminisce about our past, catch up on our days and dream about our future. And if everything goes well, it’s the perfect opportunity for the kids to doze off as we stroll around the town.
We have a neighborhood listserve where people post about lost cats, apartments for rent and, unfortunately, we hear a lot of bicycles stolen. It’s a neighborhood epidemic. We live downtown and kids tend to “borrow” a bike to cruise and then ditch it somewhere else. It’s an ongoing topic and time and again we hear the same advice from police and neighborhood watch informative groups: leave your front lights on, sit out on your porch and walk around your neighborhood.
It’s an image I have in my mind’s eye, though maybe only from stories, books and movies-the proverbial couple rocking on the front porch as the neighbors walk by with a well meant “Good Evening”. It’s old fashioned, idealistic and quite frankly, it’s a memory from pre-television days. (Or maybe it’s pre-technology days?)
It’s been a wonderful solution to many predicaments: neighborhood crime, crazy kids who want to stay up late, little time for Stone and I to talk quietly and leisurely. I’ve enjoyed our nights out and hopefully I’ll remember this next summer and not fight it until mid-July.
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beautiful pictures — love those peace flags!!!
i can relate to so much of this. i too find myself resisting the change of seasons. especially with the kids it often seems like just when we finally find a rhythm that works for us, the seasons change and the old rythm that was finally working so well doesn’t work any more.
love your reminder not to wait until july to give in to summer.
oh and just for the record…this life-long new englander smiles at strangers all the time. (i probably make them a little uncomfortable but i do it anyway. ;-)
lol! I know Erin. I’m the smiler too, although I’ve learned to give people a little more space.
I completely agree about the rhythm–it seems that as soon as I sink into something solid and sweet life (or kids) ask us to change again.
we found our nighttime rituals ebb and flow with the sun too. especialy in the summertime when dusk is just when things start to cool enough to enjoy ourselves or dinner.
~Tara
lovely pictures. and despite the lack of smiles at times (it really just depends on the town), i still love new england :-)