Mind clutter

Sometimes the mind gets congested with thought. I often suffer from thought. Today was one of those days where I wish my time could have been spent outside. Spending time in the out-of-doors allows me to clear some of the clutter in my mind. Unfortunately nature had different plans for me. Today there was a series of thunderstorms. You know the kind. In Florida you can predict them day to day in the summer. As soon as the air begins warming, within hours it clashes with the cool atmosphere and before you know it you have good old thunderstorms. A storm is fun to experience, for it is a spectacle of nature, but it is difficult to hike in such weather. So today I stayed inside. I should not complain  because just last week I was in the Everglades with work, but time spent out-of-doors is precious, in some ways a limited resource.  So today I attended to the  usual matters of cleaning the house which I often neglect in order to take part in outdoor pursuits.  I listened to some music and read some Thoreau. But my mind was still a cluttered mess. At the end of the week I feel that it is necessary to find my way out into nature. I did manage a quick bike ride. The air was soft and cool as I rode my bike underneath historic live oaks, their decumbent branches nearly touching the street. The ride was pleasant and rewarding as I passed by numerous small cottage style homes. At one point I passed a modern cracker style home. A renovated home with a new metal roof, the ideal dream home in my opinion. Small, practical and shaded by live oaks. But still my mind remained cluttered. Less cluttered after the ride, but I definitely owe it to myself to get some out-of-doors time.

Heading Downtown

Sometimes I leave Florida. Sometimes for business, but mostly for pleasure. A few weeks back I ventured up to Tennessee. More recently I was in Augusta, Georgia.  I love the state of Florida. The state’s natural wonders are truly amazing, but we must all admit that Florida is by no means perfect. I am a native which is something I take great pride in saying, but by no means do I think this makes me more worthy of living in Florida. For me, I think people live in Florida for many reasons, but most people seem to live here because of the weather. The dangers of loving a place simply for climate are many, but the most obvious to me is that it allows people to look past what makes a place great…its place. The settings surrounding you are what make a place great. A spring bubbling up from ancient limestone makes place. A stand of longleaf pine accompanied by a golden sea of wiregrass create place. Unfortunately in Florida shopping malls and the associated sprawl also create place. Place in this scenario is by no means ideal. In fact those who often love Florida only for its weather often define this urban fantasy land as place in Florida. So what is the problem with defining place by this means? It means that local culture and local ecosystems usually go extinct. Today I was in downtown Sanford. I was there hoping to stop by a bookstore called Maya books. I was also interested to see what downtown Sanford looked like. I am originally from Debary which is across the big lake, Lake Monroe, but I currently call Gainesville home. Its been a while since I paid a visit to this area and I felt it was time to head back home. I was curious to see Sanford for comparison sake. In the last few weeks I have been to a number of unique cities. I was in Chattanooga, TN a few weeks back. It has a great downtown and overall the folks living there seem happy and content which makes me think sense of place is alive and well in this fine city. In Augusta, GA I could see that sense of place was in the beginning stages. Augusta is the second oldest city in Georgia and the old buildings made you feel very southern. The Imperial Theatre was an amazing venue. But  back to Sanford. Sanford today is most notable for being near Orlando to most people. It was at one time the celery capital of the world by some accounts. Today its fine downtown is somewhat overshadowed by the Seminole Town Center Mall. The Seminole Town Center mall is your typical mall, with the typical stores, and typical hustle and bustle. Downtown Sanford is quite different. While it may be small compared to the cities I mentioned previously, it is still an example of what makes a downtown great. Downtown for one thing exhibit a true sense of community. You almost feel obligated to talk with people when you walk around here, because the scale of the streets and buildings are more on a human scale. You can go into bookstores like Maya and actually have a conversation with the owner. You can talk about just about anything…the weather, good books, etc. Can you do this at Books-A-Million? Probably not. These chain bookstores are pretty boring anyhow. I guess it is the fact that they are too organized and predictable. From town to town they are the same. A used bookstore like you can often find in a downtown always has a unique feel to it.  Overall I thought downtown Sanford was great. I hope to visit again. Hopefully there can be a downtown movement in Florida. Downtowns bring people closer together. They also discourage urban sprawl. Plus they help you remember that life can be enjoyable when its lived at a reasonable pace and within boundaries that respect all living things. As the Old Crow Medicine Show song goes…”we are all in this thing together…”

 

Florida. United States. Earth. Universe

Self

Go outside. Sit on a log or the bare earth. Sit. Relax. Listen. Breathe. Go inside. Go deep inside, not the indoors, but the inside of self. Find self. Search long.

Natural Passion

A passion for nature, is a passion for your own well being and the well being of many creatures you will never understand. Sometimes not knowing and sense of awe are the only things mankind can truly find passion in and sense of purpose for.

Keep On the Sunny Side of Life

Keep on the sunny side of life. The sun is the source of all things living. Never give in to the darkness. The darkness is in things created  by man like…hatred of fellow man…hatred of nature…and hatred of self. The sun is the key to all things happy. Find comfort in its warmth and you will truly understand love. Sometimes you see darkness but feeling the cold inherent in darkness should lead one to rid oneself of evil and bask in the glory of the sun.

Wayward Traveler

If you’re traveling,

traveling alone,

Remember love is inherent in all things beautiful and free,

Where rivers meet the sea,

and where trees grow to an old age,

Remember that traveling alone is impossible,

You are always with the liberty and beauty of nature.

Rowdy Swamp Things

Today I road my two-wheeled wonder on a portion of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail. I took the connector trail towards Bouleware Springs from downtown. As I left Depot Road I could see some homeless camps in the woods. The camps were mostly piles of rubbish and a few blue tarps draped in a fashion resembling an A-frame tent. I thought to myself how do they do it. I was hot, but I new that after my ride I would have a house to seek refuge in, but these poor troopers are out in the elements 24-7. I felt guilty on some level and grateful to have what I have at the same time. I wonder what these guys live for? Can they be helped?

As I neared La Chua trail I started to feel the rewards of the wild. There were lots of trees and lots of rowdy swamp things. The perils of of the city were no longer in my rear view mirror. Portions of the trail were also shaded which I took advantage of quickly. I also realized that my 40oz Klean Kanteen was not cutting it. I was thirsty and tired. On my way back I realized that I was a bit out of it and because of this I almost crashed into a cotton mouth that was not happy about my presence so he struck at me. About 2 minutes later I came across a gator resting on the path. Both these rowdy swamp things seemed out of place, but given more thought I realized  maybe I was the one who was out of place.