A Quieter Life

I saw this photo the other day and I found myself staring, not at it, but into it. I couldn't help but think, I could live this way, just this way, so simple, so quiet. The thought of pulling my boots on, wrapping up in a Macintosh, carrying my bag to the market, padding quietly over cobblestone streets, the ding of the bell on the market door, the pleasant, welcoming faces within. "Oh, are you back so soon? I have something I've held back just for you," the proprietor/proprietress would exclaim, as he/she drops the present customer's items in his bag.

Wandering around the fresh produce, I choose maybe some brussel sprouts or a long necked squash, some walnuts, a couple of pears, and then onto the meat counter, where I would select a chicken breast or a nice piece of fresh fish. A bottle of pinot grigio in my bag and I approach the counter, where the owner slips a beautiful piece of cheese into my bag and winks at me.

We have a good community feeling here in my daydream. I wave at the owner of the market and the door bell dings as I walk out. Maybe as I walk back home to my cottage, I'll take the long way and spend a few minutes gazing at the sunset lying gently over the ocean.

Wal-Mart does not exist here. No bright lights, no running, screaming children, and no screaming parents either. No stop lights, no traffic crush, no urgency to carry out unfulfilling obligations. In fact, what this place has to offer is peace, calm, and a gentle comfort.

What about you? Has a photograph ever inspired you to think, I could live here?