When I was a boy I used to love playing in the woods behind my parent’s house. High in the loving arms of an oak tree, my friends and I built a treehouse. From its platform, I could gaze out at the canopy of leaves and deer trails below. It was so peaceful.
On summer days I would retreat to the treehouse to sketch, daydream and relax. My favorite time of day was dusk when the last rays of sunlight left a soft, warm glow across the woods. Then, as the light receded, I’d start to hear them.
A simpler time
A few of the bravest crickets began their chirps. Others would soon follow, and the woods became a symphony of music. It was magical and dreamlike.
Ever since those halcyon days, whenever I hear crickets, they make me smile. They remind me of a simpler time, before the Internet, smartphones and the frenetic pace of modern living.
Speaking of a frenetic pace, that describes the last several months for me. As much as I love writing, cartooning and creating, it’s easy to immerse yourself to the point of drowning.
Between my writing and artwork schedule, I appeared on some cool podcasts and began work on a cartoon book. All of this creative activity has been great, but also exhausting.
That’s where the crickets come in. It was a while ago when I was walking my dogs in the early evening. As we made our way to a grassy hill, I heard the crickets begin their evening reverie. Their communal song took me back to that childhood treehouse, balmy evenings, and the memories of a slower-paced life.
An opportunity to journey within
A week after that pleasant evening walk, my wife told me about a coast to coast road trip she signed up for. She owns a Toyota 86 sports car and belongs to a Facebook group of Toyota 86 enthusiasts. The group decided to get together and do a big, coast to coast road trip. My wife decided to join them in Las Vegas.
I was unable to do the entire trip with my wife, but she suggested I fly down to Houston, Texas and meet her for part of the trip. The timing could not have been better. We both had been working hard lately, and a little road trip vacation was a perfect idea. My wife is incredibly smart that way.
I booked my flight, made boarding arrangements for our dogs, and tried to work ahead on some of my art projects. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that I would not be able to get all my online work done before the trip.
I packed my eleven inch MacBook Air, and my mini iPad, thinking I could catch up on my articles and illustrations here and there. Then I realized this was a bad idea.
“A holiday is an opportunity to journey within. It is also a chance to chill, to relax. It is when I switch on my rest mode.”- Prabhas
Vacation time should be about rest, relaxation, exploration and restoration. It’s also an important way to reconnect with your spouse or significant other. Whether we enjoy our work or hate it, taking it on vacation with us detracts from the holiday experience.
The thought of not blogging for a week stressed me out a little, as I imagined readers visiting my site and finding crickets. But I knew I had to let that go.
Freedom from our own mind
So, for the last week, I took a little sabbatical from blogging, cartooning and painting. I jumped into the cockpit of my wife’s sports car, and we took off. We visited good friends in Texas. We soaked in the hot springs at Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, where guests are instructed to whisper and leave their cell phones in their rooms.
We turned off the highway onto a gravel road and many miles later arrived at the VLA (Very Large Array), the famous observatory in Socorro County, New Mexico (made famous in the movie Contact, starring Jodie Foster).
We drove to Taos, New Mexico, and explored the art galleries, local dining, and beautiful gardens surrounding our hotel accommodations.
Next, we visited Flagstaff, Arizona, where we explored bookstores, coffee shops, and fine dining.
“The vacation we often need is freedom from our own mind.” -Jack Adam Weber
There were other stops here and there, but the point is simply this:
You need crickets in your life.
You need to hear more of nature’s music. You need to step off the frenetic career train once and awhile. Slow down. Travel. Relax. Explore new places and people. Reconnect with the ones you love.
You can always make more money, but what about making more memories?
Those crickets I used to listen to in my boyhood, chirping loudly below my treehouse, might have been trying to tell me something. Maybe their soft lullaby was a carefully planted memory, to remind me that life is meant to be enjoyed. Life is not all work, commitments and blinking computer screens. Life is also downtime, travel, relaxation, reconnection, and renewal.
Nature’s wisdom is always there. You just have to listen closely.
Slow down and relax
How about you? Are you feeling a bit frayed? Has work, responsibilities, and life silenced the crickets in your life? Perhaps it’s time to take a short road trip of your own? A long or brief get-a-way to recharge your mind and spirit.
Yes, sometimes it’s hard to get time off. Everyone’s circumstances and commitments are different. I think the crickets would tell you that you don’t have to take a big vacation to escape for a little while. Even an evening walk with a loved one can do the trick.
“We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
The key is to turn off the devices, escape work for a while, slow down, get outside and relax. Such brief escapes can do wonders for a weary mind.
Remember to listen, too. Particularly if your walk is around dusk. Because that’s when our wise little friends usually get started.
Listen closely. You never know what message the crickets might have for you.
Before you go
I’m John P. Weiss. I draw cartoons, paint, and write about life. Thanks for reading.
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This post was previously published on Medium.com.
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Illustrations by John P. Weiss