The Best Picnics Aren't Perfect
Caitlin McCrackenShare
As a child, my family and I would picnic everywhere- and I mean EVERYWHERE.
If the sun were shining, we would immediately pack a picnic and head to the nearest green area. If we were going hiking, the blanket was packed before anything else. The dream of visiting a new location and celebrating with a picnic was so ingrained that even if rain was forecast, we would still go. My parents would say, why cancel a good picnic when you can just have it in the car? To my brother, these words put him in the worst mood- a picnic in the car? again? However, I loved it. The simple pleasure of eating from my little Hello Kitty lunch box while watching rain patter down on the window. Looking back now, it seems the picnics that I remember most are the ones that weren't perfect.
Often, the best picnics are the ones that don't quite go to plan… I remember visiting Clare Glen with my grandparents one summer. Everything was so calm, the trees were bright green, and the River Cusher rippled beside us. We went further into the glen, talking about fairies, and eventually reached the bridge. After a competitive game of Poohsticks, our bellies started to rumble, so we found the next picnic table and unpacked lunch. We had lettuce, cheese, ham, but… where's the bread? So that was the day I discovered that a lettuce sandwich isn't really a sandwich at all.
Years later, when my partner and I were first dating, I decided to impress him with a picnic in Armagh and a new pancake recipe I’d tried (I'm a real catch like that.) I carefully unwrapped the pancakes from their tinfoil envelope to reveal my masterpiece. And almost immediately, out of nowhere, a dog came pounding over and swallowed the pancakes down in one go and happily trotted away. The comedic timing of it all was too perfect that I couldn’t be annoyed, despite not having anything to eat!
There is something wonderfully uncomplicated about a picnic. There are no expectations, no grand occasions, just a blanket, some food and great company. That’s enough to turn an ordinary afternoon into one you remember for years.
In everyday life, it’s so easy to rush from one thing to the next. We have lunch at our desks, answer messages when making dinner, or just scroll through our phones without noticing time slipping away. A picnic invites us to purposefully go outside and spend leisurely time enjoying each other's company.
Even if someone forgets the bread.
Happy woolgathering,
Caitlin
1 comment
I remember when I was wee we would get those tiny cans of Coke or Sprite if we went on a picnic. Every time I see them now it reminds me of fun days out, and (even though it’s less juice) it feels like a treat to have one!