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Graphic design is my passion
About a month ago I spent half of a day in a public park sprawled out on a large blanket while a light breeze washed over me. It wasn’t cold and it wasn’t hot. The temperature hovered around 68 degrees and I was in a complete state of nirvana.
The horror and drunken debauchery of the Friday night prior became a distant memory as soon as I had my picnic materials laid out in front of me. I took my shoes and socks off and let my bare feet touch the freshly mowed grass, a feeling similar to achieving orgasm.
Cicadas lightly buzzed in trees all around me. Birds chirped. The soothing sounds of Chet Baker emanated from a portable speaker next to me while cars zipped by on a street close to where my friends and I sat.
Four items were all it took to make me the happiest man in Chicago that day – one large blanket, a bottle of wine, a charcuterie board, and some chicken pesto sandwiches for my pals and I. These are the only ingredients you need for a picnic, and on a sunny day (preferably under the shade of a tree but I’ll leave that up to you), it really doesn’t get much better.
This was a Saturday, of course, and as I opened a bottle of white wine (don’t worry I had a bag of ice with me) I could think of only one thing – how had I been sleeping on picnics for so long?
The picnic was once an activity that people participated in quite frequently. In 2018, it’s become somewhat of a novelty. Historically speaking, it is a very aesthetically pleasing event. When I think picnic, my mind immediately goes to the red and white checkered blanket and a large wicker basket absolutely filled to the brim with delicious food that you made yourself. I think of two star crossed lovers making out in a field with jam and bread next to them. I think of the 1950’s nuclear family. To put it succinctly, a picnic reminds of Leave It To Beaver. Just classic Americana.
Technology has changed the look of picnics a bit. Nowadays the wicker baskets have been replaced by high tech YETI carryalls and it seems like people aren’t as keen on the red and white checkers as they used to be, but the ideals, the central theme, if you will, of the picnic remains the same. The heart and soul of the picnic is breeziness, fresh air, and friends, and tech will never change that.
A picnic is a brief escape from the real world and an ode to simpler times. You’re dining on a blanket, eating with your hands, and hopefully engaging in some good conversation. It’s retro entertainment.
I once picnic’d at the Mission Dolores park in San Francisco and let me tell you something – if you can find a park with a view like that, you need to cancel whatever plans you had for the day and pack yourself an afternoons worth of food and drink.
I’d say right around 11:00 a.m. is your sweet spot to begin such an affair. Pack up a tote with your preferred ingredients for a charcuterie board, leave the phone on silent, and find a few friends who aren’t already at a bar and get set up. There are no fees (other than buying the food and booze) involved with going to a public park to sit down. There are no obnoxious “woo” girls celebrating a bachelorette party and there aren’t any bros screaming at a television trying to will their football team to a win.
It’s a fantastic alternative to a boisterous brunch at an overpriced restaurant, plus you have the added bonus of being outside surrounded by flowers and trees, which is guaranteed to make you feel luxurious as all hell – especially in comparison to the idiot who chose to go drink weak mimosas and inhale subpar eggs benny.
It’s Saturday morning. I’m hoping the weather is decent where you’re at and you’ll be able to re-discover just how great a picnic can be. It’s nostalgic, it’s free, and most importantly it’s fun. Enjoy it..
Image via Unsplash
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jduda@grandex.co
68 degrees sounds fantastic. Doing a 3 hr float down the river today with a picnic lunch packed for some sandbar relaxing.
Start a podcast Johnny. But nice read during my break.
SMBB is a much needed slowdown from the craziness of the rest of the week and it’s nived-esque modern dystopian tragedy. Weather here was perfect for disc golf this morning followed by a grill and drink session with some friends this afternoon. Weekend outdoor activities ftw to forget about all that shit and enjoy the moment