Campfire

For me, summer is camping by a lake. I love everything about camping - being outdoors, making campfires, pulling out my art supplies to sketch or paint by the lake while Tom fishes, swimming or just floating around on the water, paddling in circles.

This week we went camping in Central Oregon with friends, Tom and I in our 20 year old "4 Wheel" camper that sits on the back of our red pick up truck. We had perfect sunny days, cool nights, no mosquitoes, a very pleasant campsite, and the company of good friends. So it took me by surprise one night when we sat around the campfire talking about what the future holds when I realized I was working so hard to hear in the dark that I was loosing patience. Rather than ask one more time for someone to repeat something, I went to bed.

So, what is the lesson learned here? I don't have to be the last one up by the campfire? I can let myself enjoy the experience without hearing everything? I can have empathy for my conversation partners? (I'm usually not the only one who is frustrated by my repeated requests for repetition.)

As it turned out, everyone else was tired as well, and the campfire circle broke up right after I went to bed, so I didn't miss anything after all.