If you don't like where you are, change your geography.
~ Tom Stull, circa 1968
Good Morning Gentle Readers across cyberspace as Time gives everyone its first Sunday in August. Besides being the eighth month of the year, August is the final month of summer in the United States, and the word itself has meaning including the following from Mrs. Miriam Webster:
August - adj. Inspiring awe or admiration; majestic: the august presence of the monarch.
Venerable for reasons of age or high rank. For many, the new school year fast approaches; for others August means annual vacation. The flipping of the calendar to August puts everyone on notice: summer is fading fast; time to turn thoughts into action. Such thoughts spurred Lord and Lady D. into action in hosting a fete of largish proportions and Mr. and Mrs. Teabody were happy to venture forth as Lord and Lady D's estate contains masses of rolling green farmland tucked away behind trees and features the most divine little pond.
The Teabodys arrived fashionably late owing to Mrs. Teabody's disdain for heat and humidity, and this arrival proved auspicious as the fol-de-rol and fiddle dee dee were nearly past, the number of guests was diminishing, the sun had dropped behind the mountain and a fresh breeze had begun. And what a sight greeted the Teabodys' eyes! Lady D. had informed Mrs. Teabody that Lord D. had wrought extensive changes to the area around the pond, and what delightful changes there were! You, Gentle Reader, must use your imagination to conjure a wooden pavilion built with a small bridge over the water and the most delightful pitched roof overhead. How charming to see tables, chairs and even a rocking chair painted bright fuchsia. Gliding against a background of cat-o-nine tails was a flock of Canadian geese, and the following hours of enchantment began as Lord D regaled everyone with the tales of their birth, trying their wings, learning to grub and finally learning to dip, swim and dine. As darkness gathered the few children in attendance played with hula hoops and flashlights, they fished in the pond, they ran with Lord and Lady D's poodles --- their hands never touched an electronic device. Upon her arrival Mrs. Teabody had noted the presence of a student, Jay Hendricks, from decades ago-- a young man she had not seen in as many years though she had heard of his collegiate successes, his early earning of a Ph.D. As Mrs. Teabody sat gazing at the pond, enjoying the idle chatter of easy friends, Jay walked toward the pavilion bearing his characteristic visage--shining black eyes, ear-to-ear smile, and the years fell away as he related his latest project-- measuring pressure using lasers - - and in the company of two other learned scientists, Jay elaborated with humor and enthusiasm his discoveries, his plan for implementation, and all sat and listened in wonder and joy. No pedantic, this. No glory-seeking egoist. Just one of God's thoroughbreds delighting in his place in the universe.
The evening did not end then but Jay's visit set the tone for nostalgia, shared stories of courage and daring as children--- stories of being urged by mothers to "Go outside and play!" which prompted journeys on bicycles, pick up games of baseball and hide and seek, the building and occupying of (surely dangerous!) hay mow forts with long tunnels. There in the newly-constructed pavilion against the backdrop of farmlands and mountains, a pond hosting family geese floating against cat-o-nine tales, everyone found a new geography for a little while--one as removed from this technological age as one can ever hope to travel. And it was BLISS.
If you don't like where you are, change your geography. Do.
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