It’s better to wait comfortably in a deck chair for the geese to come than to sit awkwardly on the ground or on a rock. Standing for long periods is even worse. Even though you may think you are adequately endowed in the posterior, rocks have the tendency to become hopelessly too hard as the hours go by and any sharp points become unbearably so.
One just thinks so much better with your back well supported and your bottom snug in a relaxing camping chair. You don’t want those last moments of tranquillity and quiet to be interrupted by or your pants getting wet and muddy. For it’s quite the most precious of times, sitting there all quietly, recovering from the past and contemplating the future – like Ruark’s Old Man explained to the boy when Miss Lottie kicked the Captain off the porch for lazing about: “Today I am recovering from the rigors of the cold winter and the wet and windy spring. I am recovering from the past and storing up strength for the future.” It’s tough out there, and you want to make it as comfortable as possible. With the wild and woolly days of youth well behind you, the get-up-and-go andstage has given way to a desire for comfort and relaxation. You know much better now.