Paying attention to the natural world...

Is everyone capable of noticing?

Nature photo of the day: December sunrise through the ash and cherry plum.

imagine scrolling
past a lifetime of sunrises
flipping through the early morning
images 
with your fastest finger, or your triggered thumb,
as if
the sun meant nothing at all
gone in a second
never to be seen again
the brilliant color of the sky
lit from behind
lost in space
never given the chance
to soak in your eyes
to sink in your memories
to stand in awe
as you wonder 
for moments on end
about the 
rhythmic existence 
of life-affirming light.

what if,
one day
the sun noticed --
that you weren't looking?

- Cheryl M.

Thomas Winward published an important article today - Living, Being - that needs to be read by more like-hearted people. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but here’s the paragraph that caught my attention:

“I was speaking recently with Anna Rose about paying attention to the natural world, and she asked me if everyone is capable of noticing or if it is something I have trained myself to do. I’ve been thinking about that a lot since.”

I’ve been wondering myself for many years now if I am the only one who cares to notice where the frog jumps in the long grass by the creek, and why. Am I one of the few who eagerly awaits the melodious cricket song of summer - the evening chorus that’s quickly being forgotten? Why am I one, separated from the rest, who choose to live simply and well, with my deepest respect rooted in nature?

In some ways it feels very lonely over here, but mostly online. Hardly ever at home and never ever in nature.

Social media has a nice ring to it, but the sound just doesn’t seem to ring true. For the most part, the algorithm is anything but social, especially when it comes to nature and loving/nurturing/caring for the environment. And in an endless world of scrolling (when we should rather be strolling) it seems that our thumbs are faster than our eyes.

Just the other day on the bus I observed a man well into his 60’s with a smartphone in his hand. For almost an hour he flipped through video after video after video, as if bored by the very act of having this amazing connection to the www in the palm of his hand. Nothing held his attention more than a lady sitting on the side of a bathtub in high heels. The rest was just a blur.

It seems that the more time we spend online, the less we find of interest. However, when you get your daily dose of nature, you are guaranteed to find something that calls forth your senses, whether it be the promise of a new sunrise, or birds calling from several trees away.

As Thomas also said, “This season, I encourage you to take a step back and live a little slower.” Very wise words for this time of year.

I’d also encourage you to take a step outside, even barefoot in the snow, and feel, even for a few seconds, what it might be like if you had to spend more of your life outdoors. It’s your choice to embrace it, or hide inside.

As for the journal prompt of the day:

What are 5 small things I noticed in nature this week that made me happy?

The more time you spend outdoors, the more you will notice, that’s a given. When the weather is warm, you’ll begin to see where the ants are going, what they are carrying and at what time of day they are the most active.

In winter you may notice that certain species of birds will perch on a preferred branch, maybe even at a specific time of day. Perhaps you will notice tracks in the snow, or that moles are enjoying the newly moistened soil after months of drought.

The more wonder you seek in nature, the more you will find.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Cheryl