Living next to train tracks delays my exit from the parking lot often. It gives me the opportunity to watch the characters biking, walking, jogging and running on the Prairie Path just north of the condo. Once the tracks are clear, I focus on the unique cars that stream past until I can find a break in traffic to pull out.
This morning I watched three cars drive past that were equally spaced from one another and moving at the same speed. The first car was red followed by a white car and then a blue one. Not only was the timing of the moment unique with the fourth of July around the corner, but also the cars had marching tonality in its colors.
Moments like these make me wonder if someone is trying to send me a message. While I find it highly unlikely, I do have to acknowledge that wonderful moments, no matter how simple, happen far more often than we let on. But most instances are missed due to the cares of the day.
The best benefits of observation come from seeing the beauty in the mundane, cleverness in the random, and amazement in the details.
Beauty in the Mundane
There is a certain innocence found in the unadulterated. Its ignorant purity brings beauty into the world like an unsure fawn experiencing fresh fallen snow for the first time. The quality of innocent naiveté reveals the best in us as a people. It can bring hope to our lives that provide the crisp feelings of being unsullied by our past. This unpolluted hope invigorates us to act out of selflessness for the sake of others.
Cleverness in the Random
The wise know that finding cleverness or any other form of intelligent thought suggests that what we view as random can many times be labeled as “divine appointments” or “God-incidences”. The mere aspect of intelligent design reflects the impossibility that ingenuity in the random is far from aimless, haphazard or accidental. The culmination of the unrelated to form a whole greater than the sum of its parts is truly a generous and heartfelt gift.
Amazement in Details
Strolling down the Prairie Path between the times I get home from work and dinner being served is relaxing and inspirational. Along the path are wonderful displays of nature that sometimes grabs my interest enough to take a picture. The closer I move the camera in the more intricate the patterns I see. The opposite is true of manmade items, as errors and an array of fragmented mistakes that lack precision become evident.
Intelligence in the arts always brings about a higher quality that audiences appreciate. The art that lacks attention to the finer points always falls apart when scrutinized by the discerning eye. This leads me to believe that focusing on the nuances of the arts, which takes longer and is more costly, is far more rewarding for the audience that it’s designed to touch.
CJ's Corner 