The places we pass
finding beauty in the mundane
In 2019 my husband took the train to Boston everyday. And almost everyday I’d pack little Auggie into the stroller and we would walk down to meet his Dad’s homebound train at the station. I was always exhausted. But this little ritual kept us busy and entertained.
The way to the station passes a junkyard along the river. Auggie and I would point across the water as we waited for the train — naming the trucks, piled up cars, and excavators (or MaryAnnes.1) The river was polluted by factories for a century. It is a tidal river so sometimes the tide goes out and you can see the dark, gummy, mud underneath. This is a scene that is at first not only mundane, but dismal. And yet, it brought a moment of joy to our day. I began to see it as beautiful.
Today, this view has changed dramatically. The junkyard is mostly cleaned up besides one last rusted crane. There is a large condo building now boasting a river view and convenient train access. It is a reminder that the world never stops changing. The mundane moments that fill our days are one and the same with the golden moments we long to get back. And while it would feel silly to wish a junkyard back into existence in the place of homes for human beings, I’m glad I captured this place in time, to be able to remember those fleeting moments.
I guess what I’m saying is that stopping to smell the flowers is nice, but sometimes your flowers might be a pile of rusted out construction equipment.
Still stop.
A few things I’m excited about:
A wonderful picture book that touches on the theme of “beauty in the mundane” is The Couch in the Yard, by Kate Hoefler and Dena Seiferling. It’s unique, surprising, and deeply empathic.
I’m freshly home after 4 days at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Book people are the best people. Librarians are going to save the world. I almost cried several times from people telling me what Robin meant to them. The hearts of children are alive in all of us.
July 10th at 4:30pm - I’m doing a late afternoon storytime at the Substation in Roslindale, MA, in partnership with Rozzie Bound Book Co-op! Bring your little one and grab a beer!
And lastly, Market Basket hired Somerville artist, Katie Christensen to handpaint their coupon flyer to celebrate the USA’s 250th. There is hope for us humans.
Until next time. Stay cool.
MaryAnne is the name of the excavator in Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. Auggie went through a phase where he would tell anyone who asked that his name was Mike Mulligan…and all excavators (as well as his dad) were MaryAnne.
This is beautiful. I always tell my husband that happiness isn't found in one big moment, but in the thousand little ones.