A Perfect Place to Study

I found the perfect place to study today. The day was warm and I was calm. At first I felt apprehensive, but it wasn’t long before I settled in and got to work. My attention didn’t wander, and I accomplished much.
It was not at all like the living room where I usually sit to read my boring textbooks, or work on meaningless math problems. There was no tv beckoning me to turn it on. “Oh, just for a minute. I can show you a world far beyond that of any you’ve seen. I can give you a kind of excitement like you’ve never had. I can make your heart beat faster, or more warmly. I can even make your heart skip a beat or two. I’m only a short diversion, I won’t keep you long, I promise. Just turn me on for a moment, and then I’ll let you get back to your studies.”

So I turn on the tv, and before I know it, the day is spent.

It was better than my room. It is quiet in my room, but I have a new mattress that is very comfortable. I’ll sit on it while I read, lean back against my feather pillows and nestle in among the blankets. It isn’t long before my bed begins to taunt me. “Close your eyes, they’re weary from looking at all of those words. I’ll hold you close, and keep you warm. I’ll be a break from the commotion that rattles in your head. I can put all of those confusing ideas and facts and put them in a safe place. I’ll take all of that agitation and anxiety and replace it with peace and calm. I’m just a temporary interruption. Just give me a few moments to refresh you, and you will be reading the book again very soon.”

But if I close my eyes, I will sleep, and before I know it, the day is spent.

It was safer than the library. The library is quiet enough. Until the books steal my attention. They sit so quietly on their shelves, and at first I am quite unaffected by the disturbance. Soon they’re calling to me, “come on! Just pick me up. You won’t even have to read all of me. Open my front cover and contemplate the first words. Turn my pages and inspect my perfect blocks of paragraphs. Remember the far away places and interesting people you’ve known in the books from your past. I can entertain you, but I promise I won’t imprison you between the words and lines of my story. Just one peek, then you can go back to your studies.”

Even one sentence can captivate me, and before I know it, the day is spent.

No this place was different. “I will warm you while you work.” The sun offered. “You will feel comfortable and happy while you sit in my view.”

So I sat beneath the sun, practicing.

“I will sweep the hair from your face,” said the breeze “so you can see the fine work you are doing.”

So I sat working, my undivided attention on division.

“We will keep you company” chirped the birds “We will be the chorus that frees your mind so you can learn.”

My mind never wandered while the concepts and numbers wrote their truths on my brain.

I concluded my studying. I folded the assignments into their cover, closed my book and headed home. When I got there, Megan was there. My heart jumped with joy because I now had the best diversion of all. A distraction freed by the knowledge that I didn’t have anything else I had to do.

I love the park. It is the perfect place to study.