Summer… A Time When Less is Often More

By G. E. Shuman

               

                I love summer!  After one of our usual long Vermont winters and very short spring, summer, to me, is so welcome I almost can’t stand it. I love the green grass, the flowers, and, especially, the summer sun!

                I’ve been thinking lately about some of the things that make summer the wonderful time it is, and it’s not all about the temperature, although that plays a huge part. Summer, to me, is a time when most of us just naturally simplify our lives, even if we don’t realize we’re doing that. The entire season lends itself to the idea that less is more, I think.  We shed winter jackets, gloves, sweaters, and even long pants for the chance to go outside in less clothing than we wear in any other season. We put away all the paraphernalia (My mother taught me that word.) of winter, including snow shovels, ice picks, car ice scrapers, snow blowers, bags of salt, and other things we need in that cold season, not to mention packing up snow skis, snowboards, snowmobiles, snowshoes and any other ‘snow’ items that we use in the winter. Then, when the summer sun is bright in the sky and the vacation request is approved, we go to the beach, have picnics, and go camping.

                The beach, camping, and picnics all have a few things in common. They are places to go and things to do that require less of everything than what we use in the other seasons. We, being tired of the indoors, and of the TV and tech-oriented lifestyle it brings, leave the ‘screens’ behind (hopefully) and experience the beauty and wonder of actually being in the ‘out of doors,’ as they say.

                Going to the beach is a great example of doing with less, and actually having more, at least as far as enjoyment is concerned. Clothing-optional beaches are not for me, (You can be thankful for that.) but by the tiny amount of clothing some people wear when in the sun and by the ocean, they are not far behind in the ‘less’ category. We go to the beach, bringing a few toys for the kids, flimsy chairs and umbrellas for the adults, and simple lunches for all, as we enjoy the beauty of the sun, sand, and sea. We soak up rays and salty sprays on those sandy beach days, never missing our more ‘proper’ hours at work and home.

                Cookouts and picnics are always great times, to me. They are the ultimate in the eating aspect of less being more. We bring our food, the likes of which we have had to cook in the kitchen for many months, outside, and get it ready to eat on appliances much less tech-oriented than the simplest of stoves. We grill meat over charcoal, a wood fire, or a simple gas flame, with no temperature control or timer to help us. We cool our drinks, not in an expensive refrigerator, but in bags of ice. And we eat on paper plates and drink from plastic cups, enjoying the experience far more than some ‘regular’ meal at the same old boring dining room table.

                Camping, to me, is the greatest example of going all out to get away from the things of the other seasons, especially the ‘w’-word season. People camp in everything from luxurious recreation vehicles to simple tents. Our family always chose the latter for their camping experiences. For us, camping was not actually going out into the woods somewhere and pitching our tent among the wild animals and insects of the untamed world. It did mean reserving a campsite at a state park and pitching our tent there. It also meant sleeping in that tent, in sleeping bags, and eating our meals, which were cooked on our camp stove or in the campfire pit, on a rough, well-used picnic table. The best part of the camping trip was the evenings spent stoking that fire pit and roasting marshmallows and hot dogs on the coals. What fun we had, in those days, living simply, eating simply, and simply enjoying the natural world around us.

                This summer, please go on some picnics, to the beach, and even do some camping if you can. I think you will find that this great season is, truly, a time when less is often more. And there’s nothing better than a burger or hot dog from a flaming outdoor grill. Enjoy! 

Acts of Kindness

By G. E. Shuman

                Sometimes I think the things that come to me to write about are just random thoughts that somehow, hopefully, congeal into understandable paragraphs. Sometimes it’s not that way at all. Many times, it seems that a point, an idea, a philosophical or ethical ‘something’ is just beating on my brain, waiting to be recognized and written about. Please know, as do I, that these things do not come from me when that happens. I believe that they either come from just paying attention to life’s experiences, or from God. I choose to believe that they are from God.

                Anyway, that’s how it has been the past few weeks about this kindness thing that keeps popping into my head. Several weeks ago, I wrote a newspaper column about a saying that I had just heard for the first time. The saying was: “Throw kindness around like confetti.”  I have no idea who came up with that thought, but I like it a lot.

                Here I’d like to share a few examples of “throwing kindness around.” The first one happened to me, and two others happened to my 93-year-old mother, who lives in Florida, and who has been throwing kindness around, herself, her entire life.

                My little kindness event took place as I stood in line one evening, at my favorite local sandwich shop. There I was, at the checkout, with my subs already made and bagged, and my debit card would not work. I had no cash in my wallet and I later learned that my account had been compromised, causing the bank to shut the card off.  I just looked at the poor girl who had to deal with me as she ran the cash register, and said: “Now what do I do?”  A very kind lady behind me handed the girl her own card and insisted on paying for my order, even refusing to give me an address so that I could pay her back. I was amazed at her kindness to me, a total stranger. She was all smiles as she blessed me with this wonderfully kind act.

                I spoke with my mom on Mother’s Day, and she related two stories that I will abbreviate here but want to let you know about. The first was something that happened to her as she was at a store checkout stand paying for several articles of clothing. A blouse she was purchasing rang up at a much higher price than she thought it was selling for, so Mom politely asked the cashier to take it off her sale. The cashier then said that it was fine and that there was a lady behind Mom who wanted to buy it. Mom turned and told the lady that she thought it would look very nice on her. The cashier then said, no, that the lady wanted to buy it for my mom, which she did. Mom was thrilled, as was the lady who paid for the blouse.

                Mom’s other story happened the day I was talking with her, Mother’s Day. She and two of my siblings and their spouses were at a restaurant enjoying a Mom’s Day lunch when suddenly Mom felt something touch her arm. She looked over and saw, as she told me: “The cutest little boy I have ever seen!” (Gee Mom, cuter than me when I was a kid? Oh well.)  Mom then told me that the little boy of five or six years handed her a big, beautiful red rose. Mom asked if he wanted her to have it, and he nodded his head, then happily left to rejoin his parents. I told my mother that I think God gave her a flower on Mother’s Day. She said, “I think so too.” 

                These three small events are only some of the reminders I have recently had of the importance of throwing kindness around, like confetti. (I do love that thought). Acts of kindness are never wasted and seem to always do the ‘thrower’ at least as much good as the receiver.

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My Best Insomnia Advice

By G. E. Shuman

                I’m a firm believer in generally helping other people if we can, and in spreading information that may be of use to others when we can. I’m sure you are, too. Although I don’t always, if ever, live up to the following thought, I recently read someone’s admonition to “Throw kindness around like confetti.”  I think that’s just a great concept, and one which will always benefit the ‘thrower’ as much as the receiver.

                Having said that, I’d like to share one idea here that might help you, if you, like me, have a problem with occasional insomnia. It’s not a cure, I’m not a doctor, and it won’t always work, but it is something that might be helpful.  So, here’s my ‘kindness confetti’ helpful-hint for today.

                I’m someone who, since my wife and I rarely get enough sleep, almost always goes to bed very tired. Probably because of that, it’s easy for me to fall asleep. She reads in bed for about fifteen minutes and is out. I write in bed or look at a few short YouTube videos, and I can then go to sleep. My problem is that in the early morning hours I often wake up and begin that awful process of middle-of-the-night thinking. I rehearse all that I have to do in the coming day and rehash all the trouble that I got into yesterday. If this ever happens to you, you know that it’s not fun and does not promote sleep.

                A few years ago, I did, accidentally, come up with something that likely sounds foolish, but works well for me if I want to get back to sleep. (I always want to get back to sleep.) So, at the risk of sounding absurd, here’s my insomnia remedy.

                What I do first is try to relax my entire body in whatever sleeping position is most comfortable for me that night. (For me the fetal position generally works, especially if I’ve had a stupid-crazy day.) Next, although I don’t attempt to force thoughts from my brain, I do try to think on the following, probably laughable one. (Although, please don’t laugh at me. Okay, you can laugh, but not until you’ve tried it.)

                I love movies… at least ones that I consider to be ‘good’ movies.  What I think about to fall back to sleep is not any particular movie, but I do momentarily concentrate on the length of most movies, which is about one and a half hours. If it’s three in the morning when I’m awake, I just lie there and say to myself: “I don’t have to wake up until six. Right now, at this moment, I don’t have to do ANYTHING. I don’t have to mooove a muscle… for the length of two ENTIRE movies. No one will ask anything of me, and I don’t have to answer even one question, but can just lie here still, relaxed, for alllll that time. Wow!”  Usually, within moments, I’m sound asleep again.

                See, I told you it was probably a laughable idea, and might sound absurd, but it works for me, and is cheaper and healthier than sleeping pills. I just thought I’d spread a bit of ‘kindness confetti’ today and give you my best tip for a good night’s sleep.