Take a Look

   Do you know what's around the corner from you right now? It's interesting to think that  we really can't guarantee anything outside of our vision. We may think a friend is waiting for us inside of the cafe we are standing outside of, but until you open the door and flash a smile to them, you don't actually know.
   For many, this concept is lost when it takes on a bigger perspective.We become so accustomed to everyday life in modern society that the excitement of "ordinary" mystery evaporates. It may be the vice that television, cell phones, computers and the media have put on us, but we don't need to rely outside of our own power to entertain ourselves. Our focus should be on what is around us, what is "ordinary", what makes life.. well life, not on what show you want to watch when you get home, or the keypad on a blackberry. When we become distracted with all the entertainment at our fingertips, we pass on by everything else. Pass by the sun illuminating the branching of a leaf, the smile of a stranger, a conversation with a friend. We pass by what makes this moment special and the opportunities that slip past our unfocused awareness.
   At times my senses feel numb from all the entertainment around me. Just walking through the library I can see music videos, Ipods, movies, advertisements and news updates from around the world. It hasn't been very long since Americans didn't have any of those things, what would they think if they saw all of that? A definite shock to the senses. This numbness leads me to overlook much of the beauty both in man made and natural things. Try this next time you've sat in front of a screen for too long, take a step outside. Doesn't matter if the sun is shining or the moon is sitting high in the sky, just take a breath. Take in the fresh air, close your eyes and appreciate the stillness in mother nature. I like to take the nearest leaf or blade of grass in my hand and feel the essence of what has been here much longer than us. To not judge anything around me, just appreciate it all, and smile. After this, watching anything projected by pixels is simply mundane. Taking our senses back to its literal roots can make the mundane come back to life. The "ordinary" becomes extraordinary. Then, the mystery of what is around the corner is all the entertainment we need.