A Delectable Picnic

The website, All About History, states the following about the origin of the word picnic:

’The origin is French (piquenique). This French word signifies an outing with food - similar to the word's meaning in English. At these piqueniques, the attendees would all bring food to the occasion, similar to what we call potlucks today. The outdoor concept of a picnic did not originate until the 19th century.’

There is another word that sums up the many facets of a picnic and that is the word delectable. The word delectable means agreeable, appetizing, delightful, enjoyable, gratifying, pleasant and satisfying.

It is through our five senses that we truly experience this wonderful tradition, the picnic.

Imagine a family of parents, children and grandchildren having a picnic in a wooded area on the bank of a stream. I lie on my back on a blanket and tune my senses in to observe my surroundings.

I watch the clouds floating past on their journey to deliver their raindrops. In their patterns I can see the head of a dog, a woman with a hat, the face of a child. I look at the leaves of the trees around me. There are endless varieties of shades of green. The shades even differ in the leaves of the same tree. I marvel at the fact that they exhale oxygen for us to breathe. I see the rugged peak of the mountain beyond the trees on the other side of the stream and wonder what forms of life are up there.

I am aware of the sounds around me. I hear the calling of a bird to its mate. I hear the rippling of water over the stones in the stream and wonder how many thousand of years have water been flowing there. The rustling of the leaves as the wind blows through them, sometimes softly, sometimes playfully, has a rhythm of its own. The laughter of children harmonizes with the sounds of nature. Gradually all the sounds combine into a great symphony!

I become aware of the smells around me. I smell the damp moss against the rock behind me. It has a mystery of its own. The smell of decaying leaves from previous seasons reminds me that they are becoming nutrition for future generations of trees and shrubs. My nose picks up the scent of flowers, sent out on the wind to invite insects to come and pollinate them.

I reach out and touch the bark of the tree next to me. It feels rough and cool, probably the result of the early morning dew. I feel the cool freshness of the wind when the sun disappears for a while behind a cloud. I touch the bud of a flower close to me. It feels soft and gentle, as at the start of life.

My fifth sense, taste, is awakened by the call to come and enjoy the delicious food prepared by loving hands. At the wooden table I enjoy the taste of the broccoli, picnic potato and orchard fruit couscous salads. The Italian Sub sandwich with its thinly sliced salami, cappicola, salami cotto, mortadella and provolone cheese is a delight for the taste buds.

At the end of the day I feel rejuvenated. My sensory perceptions of the tranquility of nature have resulted in feelings of contentedness, thankfulness and happiness. I feel rejuvenated in body, mind and spirit and I am ready to face the traffic on the highway back to home. The problems that worried me before the picnic have strangely shrunk into insignificance.

This picnic was, as always, a totally delectable experience.

Dr. Phil Minnaar
Author of The Positive Dictionary