Contentment

Well, summer is quickly drawing to a close in sunny Heiwa-cho. The rice fields have nearly completed the transition from green to gold. Over the next few weeks the rice will be harvested, the temperature will continue to drop and the days will shorten. I have always been a very vocal fan of the summer. I like the heat and, yes, I even enjoy the humidity. I suppose the humid summers are, to me, a bit like a low grade sauna that last for a few months. Its invigorating. I like the beach, and I feel more at home in the water than out of it. Despite my love for the summer season though, I find myself strangely excited about the approaching autumn months. As is too often the case, this has led me to reflect on what that says about me as an ever-evolving creature.
The more I think about it the more I realize that I am not particularly glad to see the summer come to an end. I am merely learning to appreciate the here and now, and to appreciate the good things around me. Its very comforting when you reach a point in your life where you can simply be happy where you are. I do love the summer, but fall has a number of things to offer, as well. For instance, this the time of year when I can indulge in my love of American football. And in European football my beloved Celtic are in the midst of Champions League play. The cooler weather certainly takes less of a toll on the body than does the summer heat. The leaves turn from the monotonous green of spring and summer into an amazing array of yellows and reds. And who could forget the slowly building anticipation of Christmas around the bend, complete with a visit to the old homestead, Grandaddy spiking the eggnog and everyone cheering on the Dawgs to another New Year's Day victory (at least we hope)? I am not sure if its the sum of life's lessons, religion, or maybe just reaching an age of contentment that has made me able to find happiness in the here and now, but I am certainly thankful for this newfound peace. I no longer assume everything is better in some other place or time, and that's new for me. For too much of my life I have searched for something or somewhere better, and that is an endless journey I can attest. If I could pass on one little observation to anyone on that endless highway, I would say to stop scouring the globe for peace and contentment...its not out there. Somewhere inside of each of us is an infinite capacity for happiness in whatever situation we find ourselves. Whether you find it through religion, reflection or recreation I can assure you that finding it will make everything in your life that much easier.