“If you are unhappy, start with the body. Nourish it. Rest it. Move it.
If you are uninspired, start with the mind. Excite it. Expose it. Open it.
If you are unmotivated, start with the heart. Find your why. Do something that matters. Be of service.”
~ Project Happiness
After lunch on Friday, I took a long walk to clear my head and prepare a plan for next month’s work agenda (not that I’ll be left to carry it out, but a girl can dream). I came across this sight at the Whitehall Classroom building. Landscaping had cordoned off an area where the cicada killers had congregated and swarmed. As the sign explains, cicada killers are not aggressive to humans, only cicadas. The males don’t even have stingers; the females will only sting if grasped tightly. I got close and stood among them to see if that was true (yeah, I’m a rebel…or an idiot, depending on how you spin it). It’s true. They sort of swarmed by to say hello, then went on their way. We all have a part to play, and cicada killers know their job, being singularly focused on the death of the cicada, with a side of procreation if an opportunity presents itself. Something is comforting in a single job. As for the cicada, well, I have been hearing them over the last few weeks, though I’ve yet to see their shells and remain somewhat unsure of their purpose beyond ground aeration. Their persistent song sings of summer in the mountains to my ears, and I am instantly transported to lazy Sunday afternoons watching Papaw Adams whittle a cedar stick beneath his creekside Walnut tree. This was back in the lazy days of society when nothing was open on Sunday, and people rested for the day. It was a softer, easier time than today, and I have nothing but the fondest memories and appreciation for being in such a world.
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