Welcome Summer!

Today marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, and the signal that this portion of the earth is in full flower. Summer brings with it more time outdoors, more sun exposure (for better or worse), picnics, barbecues, vacations and skeleton crews in many workplaces, and an explosion of harvests as the growing season kicks into high gear.

For some, summer brings a melancholy feeling and memories of years past, or of lost childhoods. For others, memories of family vacations and days at the beach are the focus. For others still, the arrival of summer elicits nothing more than perhaps a passing acknowledgment that the weather is warmer and the kids are out of school. Vacations, time at the beach, and picnics with family and friends are luxuries not necessarily enjoyed by, or available to, everyone. For me, summer brings a sigh of relief that the winter is firmly behind us, while knowing full well that as the Solstice arrives, the days begin to shorten yet again. But my summer glass is certainly half full rather the half empty, and I am thankful for, and aware of, the relative privilege that allows me to fully enjoy what summer has to offer. It cannot be taken for granted.

So, happy summer to all. May the season bring you much joy, and fill your heart with the glow of the summer sun.

Weather Report

Sunny disposition with hints of cloudy preoccupation throughout the day. No precipitation anticipated. Energy levels buoyed by increased sunlight, yet confinement to indoor spaces does decrease potential positive effects of solar gain. Emotional temperature is relatively stable, with no stress-induced overheating expected, however some atmospheric turbulence is inevitable. Hydration and feeding adequate to task of metabolic equilibrium. Waste disposal adequate and functional. Nocturnal outlook is good, with seven to eight hours of calm weather each night, followed by partial clearing around 6:30am.

Extended forecast: more of the same, only better.

Universal Hum

I'm sitting at my desk and hear a low drone from the city park outside. It actually seems to be coming from multiple points around the park. I step outside the office to investigate.

Four men with leaf-blowers strapped to their backs stroll around the park, pointing the hoses of their machines towards piles of recalcitrant leaves and dirt, flotsam and jetsam left over from the winter.

Closing my eyes, the leaf-blowers sound like chanting Tibetan monks rather than annoying, fossil-fuel burning machines of convenience. Each time one of the men pulls the trigger on his blower, it strikes up a pronounced hum ---"Huuu---ummmmmmm", followed moments later by yet another----"Huuuuu---uuuuuuuuum", the stress being on the first "syllable", like a monk or meditator chanting "Om". Changing my perspective just ever so slightly, this unsightly and potentially bothersome mechanical sound becomes part and parcel of the universal hum, the underlying drone of the world.

Walking next to a busy highway or tuning into the drone of a plane overhead---it can all be as soothing as an ocean or as bothersome as a mosquito in the ear. Perspective means everything.

Sitting back at my desk, the drone is more faint but still noticeable. I smile as I get back to work, the universal hum outside the window signaling that the world outside goes on, even as I am suspended in the relative enclosure of my desk, tucked into the corner of our busy office.

Phones ring, beepers chime, the fax machine groans, conversations around the room rise and fall. Can I integrate even these sounds as part of the universal drone, the hum of my world? Placing a phone call, I have to put a finger in my ear to hear the person on the other end of the line. Sometimes it's just noise, and other times it's transcendent. When I can't hear myself think, it's noise.

So, a faux haiku, with your indulgence, dear Reader:

Leafblowers in the distance
dust swirls
noisy office din
ear plugs, please.