It’s been so warm here, the kind of warm I remember from childhood. You remember…when you were a kid before houses had air conditioning and you slept on top of your sheets with your pj’s sticking to you and the window of your bedroom open so that the hot air outside could mingle with the hot air inside and your skin felt sticky and your pillow was hot…well…that’s how hot it’s been here these past couple of weeks.
Yesterday morning we woke to fog, and it felt a bit cooler, though maybe that was just an illusion brought on by the gray light and the cooling droplets of mist that stuck to my face and in my hair. Since I’m still “in training” for that big 10 mile race coming up at the end of the month I decided I’d take myself for a walk before the sun got too strong and burned away the only bit of cool we’ve had in a long time.
So off I went. The first mile ended at an overpass where as I watched the cars I realized that I was lucky I wasn’t headed off to work when so many people had to, especially those that were getting ready for a new school year to begin.
I’ve been thinking that I need to find work somewhere, and that the odds of me finding it as a librarian are slim…and getting slimmer. Maybe I’m going to have to start expanding the criteria of work that I’m willing to do. Maybe I’ll have to defer the dream job for awhile. Though it sure was fun to dream.
Deep in contemplation I walked further down roads I haven’t walked in a good long time. Past the golf course which was surprisingly (to me anyway) busy for a foggy weekday morning.
I walked six miles in total, and as the fog lifted I came across my favorite photo of the walk – the side of a barn covered in vines and layers of paint.
Isn’t it beautiful? It’s sat on the side of this road for many years and I wonder how many people have enjoyed it’s colors prior to me wandering by. It spoke to me, as if to say; “I’ve been around a long time and I’m still here. You’ll weather this economic downturn fine… you may end up with a few surprising colors of paint, but you’ll survive…just like me.”
It was a good walk.
Change Is Hard 
August 12, 2010 at 4:33 am
You know what? I dont ever remember not having air conditioning. We moved into our first house when i was in kindergarden and it had air conditioning. Schools were air conditioned too because we went to school year round. I love the barn door picture too. Hey you could work at a school. And if no openings right now, you could sub until the job you want comes open. Diana
LikeLike
August 12, 2010 at 5:00 am
Dawn, You won’t believe me, but yesterday I was thinking the same thing. No joke. I was remembering those hot nights, where we would wear our “baby doll” pajamas to bed, and still be roasting. I don’t think my family even had a fan.
The barn door is beautiful. Boy, did it speak volumes to you!
LikeLike
August 12, 2010 at 6:03 am
Beautiful photos – esp. the barn!
Mom totally remembers no a/c – they did have fans and the noise drove mom crazy at night so she would turn her’s off and just suffer. No a/c in the car either. And she had baby doll pj’s too. Now she is too cheap to turn the a/c down low enough for the upstairs to be cool through the night, so she is still sleeping on top of the sheets!
There must be some jobs out there where you could use your librarian skills even if you weren’t technically being a librarian? This economy and the lack of jobs sucks!
LikeLike
August 12, 2010 at 6:53 am
I still live without air conditioning at home. So far this summer, the nights have been bearable with fans, but walking in the stifling air yesterday wasn’t fun.
A lot of public libraries are reporting that voters passed their millages this month by large margins. Maybe those victories will lead to a few more job openings? See “Recent Public Library Millage Election Results” at “Recent Public Library Millage Election Results” (scroll to the bottom).
LikeLike
August 12, 2010 at 11:42 am
Thanks Susie, I’ll send my resume in to those near me, especially those who had additional approved.
LikeLike
August 12, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Fog is lovely for walking, not so great for driving. Photos are great, especially the barn. Of course, how could it not be, since it had so much to say!
I like the cool that a/c can bring, but it makes my sinus very unhappy. We don’t have it, but we rarely have more than a week or two in the summer where we’d really use it. Hub always talks about it during that time – every year.
LikeLike
August 12, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Dog Dad remember those days. As for hot and sticky, that is south Florida. Dad liked the picture of the fog. He always liked walking in it.
Essex & Deacon
LikeLike
August 14, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Walking in fog…I love this post too! A metaphor, perhaps, but I am suddenly wondering and thinking about the gifts of walking in the fog of not-knowing. What if we could simply trust? This is such an inspiring post for me, Dawn.
LikeLike
August 14, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Kathy, you’re the only one that got it…the connection between the title and the actual event and how being unemployed and not able to find work in my chosen field is as disorientating as walking in the fog can be.
LikeLike