An Unofficial Holiday
I really like the days of spring when I first feel like I can enjoy sitting outside. The snow is melting, there are puddles, and life is returning from dormancy.
The day of melting in 1999, I ran around my high school and got some dress clothes all messy in the muddy ponds.
The day of melting in 2000, my campus became a misty swamp - I just wandered around campus and took pictures - they turned out pretty neat - trees, swamps, and stone buildings.
The day of melting in 2001, I climbed trees barefoot in front of my dorm while there was snow around still and the ground below the tree was a pond. I also walked around campus and picked up branches that had blown off the trees on a windy day, and I put them in my closet because I liked the smell.
The day of melting in 2002, I sat outside my dorm and wrote a song. I sat outside my dorm (Rand Hall) and watched the beginning of the end of winter. And I love that.
The day of melting in 2003, I had the longest snow ball fight in my memory - with a bunch of friends and a bunch of people we didn't know. We threw snowballs at professors and at random people walking to get lunch or dinner. It was probably the most exciting and fun snowball fight I can remember. And it lasted from around 11am to 6pm or so, and a few of us kept it up the whole time (with minimal stoppages for us to warm our hands).
The day of melting in 2004, I spent a lot of time sitting outside - just watching - seeing what spring in a large city is like. And I watched snow melt. And I threw a frisbee until my hands were freezing.
The day of melting in 2005 (today, and maybe tomorrow), I had classes, but I did a bunch of walking and sitting outside. In between my philosophy classes, I just sat and stood outside for 2 hours - the ground was cold, but the sun on my black sweatshirt felt warm - that warming sun was nice. And the sky was such an amazing blue color - it was a a great day. And classes were good, and I had a good day for talking on the telephone. I'm happy and optimistic.
I love being happy and optimistic. I love this day of the year, and I love it even more because it isn't decided beforehand like so many of our days. It's not like February 3 is spring day or whatever - it just happened to be this year. And I'm really glad that things are good in my life in a lot of ways. I hope they're good in your life too.
Below is a song that is written in my head - I need to record it I know. This was an unfinished song, stuck in my head for a really long time, but I could never make more progress on it, even though I wanted to, until I was on my flight back from London. I feel like there's more, but it might be another few years before I find them. So the two things that it connects - the two things that I ascribe a lot of meaning to right now - the appreciation for the non-human, natural world - especially spring's melting, greening, life-bringing - and appreciation for the relationships I have with my friends - how they can make me happy and optimistic, able to cope with everything, no matter what it is.
The Coming Spring
Birds are back - They're singing the year's first song
Snow melts and the world's an alpine lawn
Falling off the roofs and branches, Just enough to green the grasses
I smile, and you laugh
Happiness is ditching my backpack because
I can feel the coming of summer
I can feel spring in the air
I know that this moment can't last forever
But right now I just can't seem to care
Another day, and I'm flying across the world
Clouds white - The sky is blue
I can't forget a short week in London
Beautiful spending time with you
You smile, and I laugh
Happiness is ditching my troubles because
I can feel the coming of summer
I can feel spring in the air
I know that our lives are still changing
But right now I just can't seem to care
The day of melting in 1999, I ran around my high school and got some dress clothes all messy in the muddy ponds.
The day of melting in 2000, my campus became a misty swamp - I just wandered around campus and took pictures - they turned out pretty neat - trees, swamps, and stone buildings.
The day of melting in 2001, I climbed trees barefoot in front of my dorm while there was snow around still and the ground below the tree was a pond. I also walked around campus and picked up branches that had blown off the trees on a windy day, and I put them in my closet because I liked the smell.
The day of melting in 2002, I sat outside my dorm and wrote a song. I sat outside my dorm (Rand Hall) and watched the beginning of the end of winter. And I love that.
The day of melting in 2003, I had the longest snow ball fight in my memory - with a bunch of friends and a bunch of people we didn't know. We threw snowballs at professors and at random people walking to get lunch or dinner. It was probably the most exciting and fun snowball fight I can remember. And it lasted from around 11am to 6pm or so, and a few of us kept it up the whole time (with minimal stoppages for us to warm our hands).
The day of melting in 2004, I spent a lot of time sitting outside - just watching - seeing what spring in a large city is like. And I watched snow melt. And I threw a frisbee until my hands were freezing.
The day of melting in 2005 (today, and maybe tomorrow), I had classes, but I did a bunch of walking and sitting outside. In between my philosophy classes, I just sat and stood outside for 2 hours - the ground was cold, but the sun on my black sweatshirt felt warm - that warming sun was nice. And the sky was such an amazing blue color - it was a a great day. And classes were good, and I had a good day for talking on the telephone. I'm happy and optimistic.
I love being happy and optimistic. I love this day of the year, and I love it even more because it isn't decided beforehand like so many of our days. It's not like February 3 is spring day or whatever - it just happened to be this year. And I'm really glad that things are good in my life in a lot of ways. I hope they're good in your life too.
Below is a song that is written in my head - I need to record it I know. This was an unfinished song, stuck in my head for a really long time, but I could never make more progress on it, even though I wanted to, until I was on my flight back from London. I feel like there's more, but it might be another few years before I find them. So the two things that it connects - the two things that I ascribe a lot of meaning to right now - the appreciation for the non-human, natural world - especially spring's melting, greening, life-bringing - and appreciation for the relationships I have with my friends - how they can make me happy and optimistic, able to cope with everything, no matter what it is.
The Coming Spring
Birds are back - They're singing the year's first song
Snow melts and the world's an alpine lawn
Falling off the roofs and branches, Just enough to green the grasses
I smile, and you laugh
Happiness is ditching my backpack because
I can feel the coming of summer
I can feel spring in the air
I know that this moment can't last forever
But right now I just can't seem to care
Another day, and I'm flying across the world
Clouds white - The sky is blue
I can't forget a short week in London
Beautiful spending time with you
You smile, and I laugh
Happiness is ditching my troubles because
I can feel the coming of summer
I can feel spring in the air
I know that our lives are still changing
But right now I just can't seem to care
posted by Brett Werner at
12:51 AM
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