Front Porch Sitting

I appreciate the philosophy of Jimmy Buffett. His concept of a birthday is “just one more candle and a trip around the Sun.” For many moons I have travelled around the sun “just hangin’ on while this old world keeps spinnin’.” Birthdays are made for reminiscing and planning and procrastination. To celebrate the completion of my latest trip, I sat on the front porch this morning, with the second cup of coffee, doing none of those things because front porches are just for sitting. The early morning haze lingered as a lone train whistle warned the morning traffic that tons of steel have the right-of-way – my fleeting literary thought for the day – and a lone bird scuttled through the grass looking for a worm. Why? I don’t know and I surely hope that I don’t receive either the bird or the worm on my special hottest day of the year.

Melancholy descended, which is what melancholy does, and I became sad for the people who don’t have front porches and sad for the people who have to go to work and sad for me because of descending melancholy. Brushing the sadness aside, experiencing quiet solitude gives a purpose to the day and adds new perspective to life on days that mark onerous milestones. Reflection of life proffers a reflection on why we are here on this big spinning orb traveling around a sphere of hot gases. There can be no general answer to that question; I believe our purpose is defined by our individuality. Many great minds have theorized on the meaning and purpose of life and entombed their missives in our academic halls and filled scholarly bookshelves throughout the world. I’ve made a good effort to read Philosophy for Dummies as well as anyone can, and I believe there must be some plausible reason for our existence; that which is summarized in the basic tenets of Judeo Christian values. Preferring sarcasm to stoic beliefs, I like poet W. H. Auden’s proposition of what life is all about. “We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.” To which I might add, “so what’s the use of trying?” Can our efforts, great or small change the overall direction of the spinning axis?

In a sad commentary, Jimmy Buffett put it this way:

“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from all this livin’.

Is that it wouldn’t change a thing if I let go.”

But for me on my special day, which wasn’t hot at all this year, the Cotton Tops are taking me out to celebrate and we may even look for the man in a blue shirt and khaki pants. In the spin of all things good and true, the board members did not give me the bird, but instead gave me the three best things in life: some liquid spirits, chocolate, and a pass to the bookstore. It doesn’t get much better than this.