Saturday, June 1, 2013

The Curtain Rises on Summer


And now a meditation on June from The Shape of a Year (1967) by Jean Hersey:

There is an urgency in April and May in both man and Nature, an urgency that quiets during June. The promises of early spring are fulfilled this month. In the garden everything is in and up -- all the basic work complete, and we relax while the curtain rises on summer. This is the month we spread our deep hay mulch and after that the garden becomes entirely carefree -- no more tending or weeding. This leaves hammock time, beach time, visiting time, hours of wonderful long conversations with friends on vast or simple subjects, and best of all, time to do nothing. 

Some people feel that doing nothing and being bored relate.

Boredom is a word I don't especially know, seldom use, and never think of as a state I experience. If it means a do-nothing interval between activities, I'm sure we all need a little more "boredom" in our lives. Certainly we all need more spaces between events! I'd not call such a space boredom, however, but rather a period in which to absorb and deepen the happening immediately behind you and prepare for the one that lies ahead.

4 comments:

  1. I love that idea of "spaces between events". I like to call it breathing room. Here's to June!

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    1. I don't like to stack events one after another either. I need plenty of breathing room in between. A time to gather my thoughts and my energy to move on...

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  2. We relaxed in the yard swing for awhile after we cleaned the gutters(long overdue). It was pretty windy but just nice to be out enjoying the trees, breathing in the fresh air and watching the cat play with a rock. AND it wasn't raining. Boredom isn't a word in my vocabulary. The younger generation seems to use it a lot though.

    Love books like JH's - you can dip into them and feel refreshed. Joyce in KS.

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    1. I love your comment about watching the cat playing with a rock. A cat meditation. Talk about being in the moment!

      Ms. Hersey's book is a delight and I enjoy reading her thoughts on the current month. She lived in New England and her growing season is a bit behind mine here in the South. She has plants and flowers and wildlife that I don't have any experience with. No time to be bored!

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