Awhile back I was on a fairly long walk. The road stretched twelve miles long, it was one I have frequented as it was a road I lived alongside for a period of time. The journey by car would have taken me a smooth fifteen minutes under most conditions but a walk routed me a hardy three hours. After years of living in the area you’d believe that you’re fairly familiar with it all.
On this walk I realized how drawn in people are by fast living, it is all around us. It’s extremely convenient to drive to and from where we must go, its no doubt essentially a requirement in most areas today. What do we whizz by every day that we take for granted? Maybe the ripples atop a small ponds surface, full of life just below. Possibly a tree with a nest thatched out for a family of birds to grow. We miss the smells of life, those offered to us by the trees and even by the blades of grass. I also unfortunately noticed how in being caught by the zip-line of life some may forget that what they toss from their windows still exists as a crumpled mass on the side of the road, a time old tale I imagine.
I write to make mention of this experience today in an attempt to move you toward grounding yourself in a place you may not have before. A place in which you feel is familiar but one that is not quite so. This could be taking a walk through the park you pass every day, uncovering the real experience hidden away, taking your time to observe it for what it is as it is up close.
Jordan Hutchison 