Text Message From Meg, August 24

Meg sent this from Indianapolis:

"Damn...I haven't been home in summer for too long. Buzzing cicadas, lingering twilight, the place is so refreshingly slow. The loathing is waning, a bit. Weird."

Talking with Meg about town versus country, NYC versus less-rarefied places, and so on lately put me in the mind of this one speech by Touchstone in As You Like It. And then, the trip to Ithaca gave me a good jolt of this classic human feeling:

CORIN: And how like you this shepherd's life, Master Touchstone?

TOUCHSTONE: Truly, shepherd, in respect of itself, it is a good
life, but in respect that it is a shepherd's life,
it is naught. In respect that it is solitary, I
like it very well; but in respect that it is
private, it is a very vile life. Now, in respect it
is in the fields, it pleaseth me well; but in
respect it is not in the court, it is tedious. As
is it a spare life, look you, it fits my humour well;
but as there is no more plenty in it, it goes much
against my stomach.

It is so much sweeter to the ears than that old saw about the grass and the changes in its hue and softness relative to the place where you're standing.