A couple weeks ago we took a journey to the mountains, and we came across this English Pub in the middle of nowhere . A place names M.O.K. alias Man Of Kent. It wasn’t on a busy city street, nope, it was in Hoosick Falls, NY ,on a high hill, above a river. This quaint pub seemed like that special place where people come to meet up with friends,  where many knew each other’s name. We were amazed with all the special memorabilia that hung on all the ceilings and walls. There were tee shirts, banners, sport items, hats, tools, post cards, the list goes on and on, each having memory, a meaning to someone.
Our meal was good, the staff very friendly, and the atmosphere was welcoming. The place was like watching a number of small one act plays as people chatted, laughed, and seemed to love being there, letting any worries stay outside the door.

This was followed by a few beautiful days of staying in an old country inn; by traveling and relaxing in the serenity one can get from mountains; by seeking out a few covered bridges; by traveling on country mountain roads that curved back and forth as if to follow the path of the wide winding creeks, and by enjoying rocking time away on an incredible wrap around porch ; all of these things were providing opportunities to see a calming side of life.

There is something special about the environment, something that is not felt or seen in so many places in this world. In so many towns, it was like going back to a quieter time. A time where people all cared for each other, a time where there was no place like home, family and Sunday dinners. Sure we have had great advancements as time has gone on, but we have a society that in many ways has lost the need to talk to one another- face to face. We can shoot a text , post on a social media page, and label people “friends” on face book-and yet many of our “friends” we might not even recognize if they walked by us on the street.

In these quaint towns, I did not long for social media, I longed for the stroll by the creek with Mark, the conversations as we were rocking on the porch, the attempt to breath in the beauty that surrounded us.
It reminded me that we need to keep our opinions and judgements in our minds and not on our tongues ( or shouted out through our keyboards and fingertips) . There is so much more in relationships that go beyond the current events. We need to let people have their opinion, and not boast about their beliefs . We need to leave out ultimatums, like  “if you don’t think like me, than I have nothing to say ” , or ” I only want to talk about what I want to talk about “. We need to listen. We need to be kind, to be honest, to respect others and to be accountable, caring and accepting. Life is short, there are no guarantees, so in the time we have on this earth, we need to appreciate the beauty of serenity, the softness of the heart, and all the blessings that surround us.

With love and hope for more times like these,

Until later… Mrs Justa alias, Cindy