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.
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