Sage minds of the past figured out something fundamental we often lose sight of in our world of modern distractions.
Two centuries ago Emily Dickinson advised: "Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough." A hundred years earlier Jonathan Swift wrote: "May you live every day of your life."
There's an instructive story behind this picture. I took it at the site of the former World's Fair in Queens, NY a few years ago. I was using one of my vintage cameras for the first time. Looking for the best angle I walked around and around the Unisphere, staring at it from every perspective. Intently focused on that singular task I failed to see a crack in the pavement that caught my foot. I tumbled hard and tore skin off my left knee and hands. The camera flew 10 feet away. The place was empty so there was nobody around to help me. I just laid on the cold ground for a while, bleeding and trying to manage considerable pain.
The morale of the story is -- take a wide view of your life. Don't focus too intensely on one thing and miss other stuff around you.
One of my favourite lines from a song: "Maybe time running out is a gift."
ReplyDeleteEvery day could be the last - enjoy it, stop, and look around.
PS - I tripped and fell right in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, in front of THOUSANDS of people. No one said anything! 99% of people are in their own heads. :)
Thanks for sharing, Sheila.
DeleteThis is a beautiful way to look at life- and I love how you take all the lessons (even painful, scraped-knee ones!) and turn the into wisdom!
ReplyDelete-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Thank you. If we don't learn from experience, what's the point of it?
DeleteWise words, Ally! Sometimes we all need a reminder to live life to the full and stop focusing on the small stuff! xxx
ReplyDeleteYup! Thanks.
DeleteAh, Minutiae consume us sometimes but they don't matter! Other things matter more! A lovely way to look at it Ally!
ReplyDeletexx
Thanks, Kezzie.
Delete