The Silence of Nature

 

I went to the park to find the silence of nature. It was a new park I had not been to before and I was excitedly looking forward to my visit. Close enough to town that you can hear cars and planes if you listen. But I don't. I tune them out. I want to enjoy the silence of nature away from the city noises. I picked a quiet secluded garden spot and sat down to read. I tried to read but found myself constantly interrupted and distracted with noise and unable to do so. The sounds which so incessantly interrupted me? The wind blowing through the trees; the birds chirping and singing; squirrels and birds foraging in the brush; the old eucalyptus tree creaking in the wind; leaves rustling and falling to the ground. A noisy hummingbird darts about. Its wings beating loudly like a motor draw my gaze. I look up and find his eyes staring into mine as he pauses and hovers no more than 2 feet from my face looking at me as if he had found something new and interesting to see in the park. These are the sounds I hear.

I went to the park to find the silence of nature. I found its heartbeat instead.

I’M IRISH AND I DON’T LIKE COOKED CABBAGE

There. I've said it. I know. It seems like a contradiction in terms. But I don't. I prefer my cabbage raw, preferably with something on or in it, like Cole Slaw or Lettuce Wraps with cabbage instead of lettuce. Not that I mind lettuce with my Lettuce Wraps, I just think the cabbage holds up better.

This is what I contemplate as I sit here eating my lunch of Chow Mein and Kung Pao Chicken and pick out the bits of cabbage from my Chow Mein. My ancestors would probably chastise me good for that. One, for not liking it and two, for wasting good food.

Due to some recent deaths of family members and ill health of others, I have recently been thinking more about my heritage and how little I actually know about it. I've resumed work on a family tree that I had started many years ago. I've actually spent a decent sum of money on software and genealogical records. I am awaiting receipt of those records so I can trace my family even further back. Hopefully.

It's not that I'm an orphan or anything like that. My family is spread out around the country and for various reasons, I just don't have much contact with most of them. I think I need to try harder to change that. Now if I could just remember that when I'm at home glued to my TiVo and the latest Stargate or NCIS episode, that would be helpful. Also, my family doesn't talk about their past much. Of course, my recent research has turned up a few interesting tidbits of ancient history which are inconsequential in today's day and age, but would have provided much reason for gossip 70 years ago. So, I understand why talking about family history seems to have been silently taught to many generations of Porters. But, maybe I can change that.