Summer doesn’t officially begin for a few days but we are expecting heat and humidity to hit southern Ohio today and settle in for at least a couple of weeks. Since it will soon be dangerously hot, I hated to enter summer hibernation without a really good hoke under my belt. I was grateful to make it out yesterday for close to six miles and for the unexpected joys this hike brought.
Looking up made me feel small. It usually does.
Looking down introduced us to a new friend. He seemed altogether unimpressed by us but we liked him.
And spots like this one offer a solid reminder that there’s nearly always a way through.
If you are fortunate enough to live in a place where there’s outdoor access and you are able to go out and enjoy it, do yourself a favor and go. The good nature will do for your body, mind and spirit is immeasurable.
Looking back over pictures and stories I have written here, it seems that I write about a lot of things that impress me like places, artwork, scenery and sounds. These are often things that I describe as extraordinary and unique.
Despite my tendency to view the world through a lens that makes everything seem interesting, I am surrounded by people who are permanently unimpressed by basically everything. Their worldview is drastically different than my own.
That’s an observation, not a judgment. Everyone has a right to do their own thing.
I feel fortunate because my worldview gives me a special way of looking at small details that matter little to others. It occurs to me that the amount of extraordinary things you see depends entirely on what you choose to focus on, what you look at.
The above picture is a perfect example of how worldview can change everything. It’s a common dandelion, a little yellow flower that resembles a small ball of sunshine and that brightens lawns across America.
They are an early source of nectar for pollinators in the spring. When allowed to die and turn brown, they return to the earth and add nutrients to the soil.
They are packed with vitamins and minerals, delivering a nutritional wallop that can aid with digestive health, blood sugar and blood pressure. They can be eaten raw in salads, cooked up or even made into a syrup.
In short, the dandelion is a valuable part of our ecosystem.
Yet, Americans wage war on this pretty little flower with a vengeance that seems unnecessary and unprovoked. They mow them, dig them up and treat them with chemicals that not only kill the dandelions but also everything around them and any little creatures that eat or touch the poison.
I will never understand why but I do know that everyone else’s disdain for the dandelion won’t discourage me from liking them. I’ll keep focusing on the tremendous good done but this tiny flower and be grateful that it exists.
How you choose to view the world will change your attitude and the experience you have each day. Seeing flowers where others see weeds is a good start toward finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Some folks look for shapes in clouds. I search for faces in rocks.
This one isn’t just a face. It looks like an entire head with hair of ferns and moss. Can you see it? There’s a squinty eye, nose, cheek and a mouth fixed in a grimace just above a double chin. It reminds me a little of those modern 4D ultrasounds that give parents a better view of their child’s features.
Odd, I know.
This rock and many other fabulous sights can be found at Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve near Jackson, Ohio.
This spring has found me in a reading slump. I’m usually pretty good at snapping out of it but I just can’t seem to quiet my mind enough to focus or enjoy anything.
I respond well to a good challenge so I have been working on my own for the last couple of weeks and thought I would share it with you:
1. A book you’ve been meaning to read for a while.
2. A book you chose for the cover.
3. A children’s or middle grade book.
4. An audio book (you can find some great stuff on YouTube for free)
5. A book that won an award.
6. A book recommended by a friend.
7. Reread a classic that you read in school.
8. A genre that’s outside your norm.
What are you reading? I could use some inspiration and you might be able to help me with number six!
“The world is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper” W.B. Yeats
The world is filled with magic in everyday things. Turn off the tv and go look for it. Understandably, Monday is a harder day to feel like looking but it’s usually when we don’t feel like it that we need to the most.
This image was made possible by simply wanting to see something special on Saturday. It is from my own backyard.
So, yeah, you can go places and spend lots of money and chase things just beyond your reach. You can also just stand still and look around you.
