Not-so-desolate landscape
London, ON, May 2009
[Click photo to embiggen. Click here to share your own closeup-themed pic.]
I was killing time while waiting for our munchkin's playdate to end. I had dropped him off just far enough from home that staying out and running errands seemed to be the more responsible, more eco-friendly alternative.
But you can only run so many errands before you run out of things to do. Before long, you're scraping the bottom of the reality barrel - did you really need to pop into the pet store to price out a replacement leash for the one the dog's threatening to chew through? That's your sign to break away from the madding crowds.
A nearby park offers a welcome refuge from the rush of Sunday afternoon shoppers. And before long, you find yourself standing, silent and alone, in front of a craggy old tree, wondering why you don't do this more often.
After what seems like hours of reflection, but is likely closer to 15 minutes, your watch alarm goes off (bless the Timex Ironman Triathlon) and it's time to fetch the little man and bring him home. As you set off on the closing leg of today's adventure, you think of the delightfully rich trunk of the sadly ignored tree in the middle of a suburban park. And you quietly tell yourself you'll be back again soon. And when you do, maybe you'll bring home another picture of a moment and place that, despite its humble, routine beginnings, you won't soon forget.
Your turn: Why we need to slow things down. Please discuss.
Why we need to slow things down? Nobody can sprint all the way through life. (Trust me, I tried.)
ReplyDeleteThe bark in this could be a rocky canyon wall, a lunar landscape... just about anything. (Including a stately old tree seen close up.) But you don't see those things if you don't slow down once in a while.