Sunday, June 1, 2008

I heart the sun.

First off, I want to thank everybody for their wonderful comments. Believe it or not, I had no idea most of you read my blog. Now, armed with that knowledge, I'm happier than a puppy with a chew-toy. :) Keep those comments coming.

Now, for the meat of this blog:

I was driving the other day - Friday, to be exact - at around 8:00pm, when the sun just begins to drift below the tips of the mountains. I had been moving stuff for Shannon and Andrew that evening and was headed over to their new place to drop some things off.

At that particular time of day (during the golden hour, as photographers call it) light takes on it's most pleasing quality. Everything is bathed in that soft, yellow glow and the landscape inherits a peaceful, unparalleled beauty. I had a moment then that I have every once in awhile where I look around and - despite all of the problems, worries, and bad news that plagues our world today - everything is good.

I've been thinking about those moments lately and how our surroundings have such an intense effect on our mood. It's interesting to me that the delectable, early-evening summer light can inspire such peace. On the flip-side, my workplace has zero windows - no natural light at all. On any given weekday, by the time 5:00pm comes around I'm practically craving sunlight. Which is why, when I get to my apartment and find that all of the blinds are shut, I typically run from room to room opening them up, sighing with glee as I see the sun permeate the stagnant darkness. I swear my roommates are vampires. But that's the topic for another blog.

My affinity for sunlight is pretty normal, I assume. I don't think most people enjoy sitting in the dark all day. Working under the filthy glow of a fluorescent tube leaves me feeling sickly.

Perhaps my body has an unnatural necessity for vitamin D? Vitamin D, after all, is created when sunlight touches your skin. For more information on that, check this out.

Do you feel the same craving for sunlight? Don't you just feel GREAT after a day in the sun? ...provided you're not burnt, of course. You've gotta love natural light. :) A tan is nice, too.

-Barry

P.S. Skin cancer is NOT cool. I understand that. However, I still think I'm seriously lacking when it comes to sun.

7 comments:

  1. I CRAVE the sun. I bought this house because it has wonderful, natural light!Also, the only blinds that ever close here are in the bedrooms, at night. It's the first thing I do every morning, OPEN THE BLINDS!!! This being the first day of June, I plan to make the most of every sunny day.

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  2. this is probably my #1 reason for hating utah. not enough sun. the lack of vitamin d does a number on my nerves every winter. boo.

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  3. Whoa, Zaida, you hate Utah because there's not enough SUN!?!? You're obviously talking about the winter. Because summers here are GLORIOUSLY SUNNY!

    Bridgette, I, too, plan to purchase a house someday with plenty of natural light.

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  4. Oh Bar, I agree! This morning, the sun came into our apartment and it was AWESOME! I love it! I'm so glad we found a place with windows that get lots of natural light!!!

    Oh, and THANK YOU for helping us move! Love you!

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  5. Oh and Zaida...

    Ummm....Utah is very sunny! Maybe you're confusing Utah for Portland or Seattle...hmmmm

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  6. i do enjoy the sun. especially that northern light for photos. But I must admit, I REALLY enjoy waking up to a gray rainy day. Bizarre, yes, but then again, most of my thoughts are.

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  7. My favorite time of day is around 8:00 pm in the summertime. The sun is no longer at its zenith and its light is less harsh, allowing the colors to come out brightly but not be washed out. It's a beautiful time to go for a walk, or just relax outside.

    But yes, do not forget that sunscreen. Melanoma (and cancer in general) is a very scary thing.

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