Why we take the time to stare up at reflective buildings

So many stories here
Toronto, ON
May 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

When you spend the vast majority of your life staring at glowing screens a couple of feet in front of your face, you relish the opportunity to get outside and take in a wider view.

That partly explains why my archives are stuffed with pics like this - I'm guessing you don't want close-ups of my laptop monitor - but there's more to the story.

The world around us is filled with mini-scenes like this one, tiny subsets of the planet crammed with limitless detail. Make a rectangle with your thumbs and index fingers - I'll wait - and you'll see what I mean. I do that finger/thumb thing all the time, because it reminds me to stop what I'm doing and appreciate what's in front of me.

I'm sure you've seen reflective, glass curtain building facades before. But probably never this one. From this angle. In this light. I pass this spot regularly, but never before had I looked up in quite this way.

What does that mean? It means we're surrounded by wonder. It means that wonder takes on many forms. It means we miss out on so much if we spend too much of our time staring into glowing screens. Or walking with our heads down, our eyes averted.

So consider this vignette my commitment to staring at odd-looking faraway scenes a bit more in the days and weeks to come. I hope you'll consider doing the same. It's better for our eyes, and I'm pretty sure it's better for our souls, too.

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