Utterances have grown exponentially. So much remains unsaid. Shouting into the digital commons has become easier, but engaging in meaningful conversation feels harder. Social media allows for engagement without any meaningful effort toward interpersonal interactions. My goal for the rest of the year returning to my original writing style. That style produces prose that resonates with me. That style remains less detached and more focused on moments and thoughts.

We could rush through the moment.

Remembering everything that happened changes things. It is the subtle details that really set the stage for memory. Walking into the botanical garden it was not the two sets of doors or the change in temperature between the inside and outside. It was looking at a poster on the wall about upcoming events and taking that first strong smell of the botanical garden that caught my attention.

I could write about the moment in more detail.

We had decided to go to the botanical garden. The weather seemed ok for the trip. It was the weekend. A trip of some type was about to happen. Today it was going to be a trip to a garden. A short 20 minute drive was easy enough. Parking in the underground structure always makes our botanical garden visits interesting. We generally arrive early enough to park in the first main area. That makes leaving very easy. The entrance and the exit are in the same place on the same floor of the garage.

Getting to the botanical garden involves a simple elevator ride with a stoller or wagon up a level. Taking a wagon up the stairs never seems practical. It is a quick elevator and the door opens right up to facing the actual entrance of the garden. It involves a short walk and crossing the street. Traffic has to stop. The crosswalk is just in the middle of a busy street. The lights flash and traffic stops for about 30 seconds. You make your way across the street to the glass doors of the entrance.

During the summer the temperature between the ticket office entrance and the garden is striking. You walk in and get tickets. Things seem colder and then you walk out through another set of glass doors to see the actual garden. After you open the door you still have to walk a few feet to see the actual garden, but the smells and sounds of the botanical garden catch your senses and remind you what nature smells like. Walking from a parking garage in the middle of a city to a botanical garden really does introduce you to very striking smells.

Naturally, i could take that writing about the moment even deeper.

During our weekends the kids need an outing. Staying around the house all day never turns out well. This weekend our adventure would be a trip to the botanical garden. It always involves a lot of walking and you have a lot to see and experience. The twenty minute drive is ok. Nobody really minds those short drives. It is the really long ones that cause cabin fever in a car. Shorter drives don’t even involve car snacks. Today was a red rider wagon day. The wagon has seen better days and one of the canopy poles needed a slight repair before we could begin our journey. Electrical tape and a long screw were enough to make the repair. It only took about 5 minutes and we were ready to go.

Parking for the botanical garden is always on the left of the one way road. The garage is much large than it appears from the outside. It is a mountain of concrete. Early in the day parking is pretty easy. You do not really have to venture very far into the garage. The entrance and the exit are in the same spot. The first ring of parking is pretty easy to navigate it really only involves one loop. The stairs would be easy enough to take without the red rider wagon. An elevator ride up one floor takes a moment. On really crowded and busy days waiting for the elevator can be a difficult end to an adventure. Kids do not really handle waiting very well when they are tired.

As the elevator door opens you can see the glass doors of the entrance to the botanical garden. It is a short walk to the crosswalk for the one way street. A simple button push starts the light cycle. Soon enough traffic on that busy one way street will stop long enough for people to cross. This the perfect example of where an architectural feature could have allowed people to go over or under without cross the street. That design was never put in place. After a quick wait the walk to the glass doors is pretty easy.

Large glass doors open up to the ticket office and gift shop. All sorts of things are for sale to the left and the ticket folks are sitting on the right. At this point, it is a simple scan and go operation for members of the botanical garden. Every time walking through the entrance involves during the summer involves a sudden temperature change. It is striking enough to remember. Your sense of smell gets used to the the gift shop and the conditioned air just long enough for the surprise that is waiting on the other side ot the second set of doors.

Nature jumps out at you and your senses pull in all sorts of memories related to plants, flowers, and the outdoors. Going from a parking garage to the botanical garden triggers a frenzy of memories for me and it revitalizes me for the day.

The process of writing about the moment is influenced by both the passion you bring to the writing session and the time you have to write.