Columbus Arts Festival
– June 2012 – Photo by Rita Bourland
How Could Anyplace be so Lovely?
Seeing the painting of the Italian village dipping its toes
into the sea transported me. How could
any place be so lovely, I thought?
I
envisioned myself strolling down the cobblestone lanes with a basket over my
arm, stopping to talk to fishermen and carefully choosing from their catch for
my evening meal. I would purchase some freshly baked bread and
a small pastry for dessert from the local bakery. From a street vendor I would find ripe
berries kissed by the sun and tomatoes plucked from the vines that very
day. The owner of a small shop would
help me select wine and cheese, adding a flower from a vase and a cheerful ‘Ciao!’
as I walked out the door. So sublime to
be in a place of such beauty, where the sun sparkles through puffy white clouds
and the day seems to go on forever.
Shaking myself from my reverie, I backed up a few paces and then I saw
it.
Framing the artist’s booth was the
skyline of my fair city. Puffy white
clouds floated by, the sun delivered rays of warmth and
the river floated by just steps away. The day offered surprises around every
corner. Food booths beckoned with international
delicacies, one-of-a-kind ice cream (Jeni’s) and sugary festival food. Musicians performed, poets read, mimes
strolled and people smiled in languid enjoyment of the day. How could anyplace be so lovely, I
thought?
And then I snapped the
picture.
Yes!! It struck me the other day that I/we live in the Garden of Eden, even though we are hundreds of miles apart. It is beautiful with trees and flowers where we live. We always have enough to eat and drink. We're never too hot or too cold. People are kind and good in our neighborhoods (as they are in most). How, indeed, could any place be so lovely?? How could anyone be more blessed than we are?? Libby
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%. We are very blessed indeed. This particular day was a beautiful reminder of that.
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