Valerie is so right – most of us don’t play enough.  Play is just not built into our culture, it’s not a socially acceptable adult activity.  Which is why I got excited when I found out that since 1985, July has been designated National Parks & Recreation Month.  It’s officially encouraged to go outside and play in the park this month!  You’re allowed!  Go have some recreation!

But what is “the park” to you?  A park could be a green glen tucked into an urban neighborhood, or a remote national treasure.  What do you look for in a park?  What’s your favorite?

Mine may just be Walden Pond, which I’m lucky enough to live just a few miles from.  In winter, snowshoeing through Thoreau’s famous woods is as peaceful as it gets.  In the fall, the leaves reflected in the tranquil pond are nothing short of stunning.  In summer, a quiet hike or picnic is definitely in order.  One day, I’m going to get brave and attempt to join those who swim across the pond. 

Best of all, among the trees of Walden, I hear the echoes of the Transcendentalists, including these words from Henry David Thoreau himself: 

“In any weather, at any hour of the day or night, I have been anxious to improve the nick of time, and notch it on my stick too; to stand on the meeting of two eternities, the past and future, which is precisely the present moment; to toe that line.”

What are your favorite parks and other outdoor spots?

(image via: http://home.windstream.net/ernie.seckinger/ConcordPhotos/Waldenphotos.html)