Sunday, July 01, 2007

Apples

I was sitting on the porch tonight, eating an apple and reading David James Duncan's "The Brothers K" by candlelight. The cicadas droned on, and I paused for a second to take another bite and notice the fireflies. As I chewed, I realized that I had gotten a piece of the apple skin that was too close to the stem, leaving a slightly bitter taste in my mouth. I find it odd how memories are often brought to mind by the most innocuous of actions. With this bite of apple I was suddenly reminded of being much younger, when I used to eat most of the apple core, and in particular, for some reason, of being out in the mountains back home in Montana on a sunny, crisp, autumn day. And with this one thought, the simplicity of that time in my life flooded back as well. What would it be like to be 12 again, and eating an apple, and reveling in just being in the mountains, and having a whole future of hopes and dreams ahead?