Spring - Sneakers and Paint
The snow is gone and green grass can be seen growing close to the sunny side of homes.
The birds in the back yard are singing and fluttering in the old bush. Spring is here, and with it
comes memories of the smell of paint, new sneakers, and longer days.
As a kid, I knew spring arrived, when I walked into the house after school and smelled
paint. The first warm day would cause my mum to go into "redecorate" mode. She threw open
the windows; let the fresh air in; popped the top off a can of paint; and put a fresh coat on the
walls of a room or two or even three.
Spring was also the time to change footwear. In Nova Scotia, we had snow on the ground
almost continuously from late December until late March. We spent all of our time outside
wearing our heavy winter boots. To run in them was like running through water. .
In late April or early May, when the ground finally soaked up the last the melting snow,
mum took us to the city to be fitted with a new pair of "Dash" sneakers. I still remember the
rubber circle, with their trademark imprinted on it. It was sewn onto the black fabric right over
the ankle area. After a month or two, small hands would rip it off, and leave a circle, darker
than the faded material around it.
Later, when we returned home, my brothers and I put on our new sneakers. The door
slammed behind us as we rushed out, causing a shout of anger from our dad, as we took off
across the fields. The weight of the boots was gone. It felt like we were flying through the air or
we could jump thirty feet with the ease of a kangaroo. It was freedom. The thoughts of summer's
approach and the wind rushing pass our uncovered ears was exhilarating.
Spring!
When life gets me down; when everything seems as bleak and cold as winter; I don't let
affect me. I put on a new coat of paint, pull on a new pair of sneakers, and just run like it was spring.
~ Michael T. Smith ~
Copyright © 2012
<heartsandhumor@gmail.com>
Michael lives in Ohio with his wife Ginny and his stepdaughter's
family. You can see a list of Mike's stories here:
http://tinyurl.com/moud8u And you can get his stories emailed to you
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Michael T. Smith
[ by: Michael T. Smith
Copyright © 2012, ( heartsandhumor@gmail.com ) - {used with permission} ]
