A CLEAR DAY. A COOLING BREEZE. A place in the sun.
Well, two out of three ain’t bad (isn’t that what the song said?). I’ll take the clear day, and the breeze, but please, to quote another song that dates me, Gimme shelter.
There’s something off-putting, at least to me, about lounging around in the outdoors, whether it’s close-by neighbors whose scrutiny I’m wary of or just the idea of exposure as I sit drinking coffee in the morning or a cooling vodka-and-Limonata in the evening. Forget about the mosquitos and gnats: It’s a privacy thing with me.
Save the pop psychology: I know I’m not alone. If I were, there wouldn’t be so many contractors and carpenters out there erecting gazebos and pergolas, or architects attaching screened-in porches for eager homeowners. (Aside: Is it just me? When did the “screened-in porch” of my youth become a “screen porch”? Are we really in that much of a hurry? Ditto “ice tea” and “wax paper.” Discuss.)
I pulled together a few images of protected outdoor spaces that appeal to me. Some are urban, some suburban. They may not do it for you, but all appeal to that part of me that doesn’t want to succumb to the wide open spaces.
–Nancy McKeon
Agreed. And its all about bring the creature comforts of the outdoors, in!
That was meant to be “indoors, out!”