What I dream of

A home in the country, one surrounded by nature’s bounty.  Trees would offer verdant shade in summer and stoic shadows in winter.  They would provide perch and protection year-round to innumerable creatures.

A screened-in porch where The Kids and I could sit and enjoy the splendor of an autumn morning, the birth of spring in the air, and quick jaunts through the elements when it’s too hot or too cold to take root.  They would be safe from the many threats that haunt the outside world, yet they would equally be free to wallow in fresh air, bathe in sunshine, whisper empty promises of safety to wildlife they would otherwise prey upon, and securely watch the occupants of Earth’s days.  I would be able to share that experience with them.

A garden wherein I could grow vegetables and herbs, a simple plot of land I could nurture and that would offer its bounty to replenish my being.  Having grown up tending to such patches of land as means to enjoy fresh vegetables, something within me longs for those same experiences: picking fresh produce nurtured by my own hands and enjoying the sensation of organic sustenance.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini and squash, sweet peas, okra, broccoli, onions, garlic, thyme, mint, basil…  The list goes on and the possibilities are endless.

A haven from the onslaught of city life, one where the thunderous roar of jets overhead, the incessant screaming of trains passing through, and the hustle and bustle of too many people cease the constant torture I now endure.  The silence of the night would be real save what calls I hear from nature itself.  Instead of cars and motorcycles so loud they burst my eardrums, I would instead gorge upon feasts of coyote calls, owl hoots, wind gliding through leaves and limbs, and a litany of that which is now denied me.

A place of lightless nights, one where my telescope would not have to be driven at least 40 miles (65 kilometers) out of town before it could gaze clearly at the heavens.  Astronomy has long been a refuge to which I escape, a journey of discovery and wonder wherein my mind leaps and plays.  Even Mom can remember the night she, Derek, and I watched the moon through that telescope from the family farm.  She found it amazing how quickly it moves when viewed up close.  I kept having to adjust the telescope to keep the lunar surface centered.  I want the freedom to lose myself in celestial awe without planning a road trip to a different continent.

A house nestled among lush hills and woodlands, one that boasts of nearby creeks and bayous still coursing through earthen troughs untainted and unmarred by civilization.  I want to walk out my door and trek through jungles of the world’s making, not man’s.  Wildlife would surround me and be my ever present friends.  Each day I looked out from shelter would bring a new encounter.  The landscape would offer constant mental renewal, and a walk through the forest would be free of bicycles and picnics and automobiles and motorcycles.

A space large enough for The Kids yet small enough to be comfortable, one with room where they could run and leap in folly and abandon without being so large that I get lost trying to find the bathroom.  It would have room enough to live without being overly spacious.  Feline frolicking could take place with ample elbow room.  Having guests would not make them feel as though I was living in a shack.  Yet it would not be prohibitively cumbersome in size; instead, it would be intimate…cozy.

A residence accessible to needs without being captive to them, one that is not so far from stores that I need hours to get groceries.  I wouldn’t mind driving thirty minutes to get supplies, and thirty minutes back.  I’d prefer it, in fact, such that I could remain somewhat connected to the requirements of civility.  As I abhor shopping for groceries, that distance would ensure I only go when necessary and get enough supplies to last.  Still, I would want supplies available to me without being around the corner—or even down the street.

A connected world that doesn’t require being chained to a city, one without the proximity requirements of DSL but with the ability to communicate.  Whether it be fiber, satellite, a dedicated circuit, cable, or some other means, I long to remain a denizen of cyberspace sans the need to be a denizen of its maker’s messy affairs.

These things and many more are what I dream of.  Someday…

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