I fell into reading an article this afternoon about noticing beauty and art around us. It was quite long but I was completely enthralled in it while sipping my afternoon cup of joe. It made me start to wonder what kind of experiences I could be having if I wasn't so stuck in my normal routine. (Read it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html)
Take this morning for example. Usually on a Sunday morning I get up barely in time to get ready. I throw back a cup of coffee and try to put on clothes that match...on a good day I remember to brush my hair. Then I grab my overfilled purse and Bible with too many papers in it and rush out the door to get to church late. This morning my routine was disturbed by a phone call inviting me to breakfast before church. "What kind of nonsense is this?", I thought to myself. And then I realized that I would really love to have conversation and breakfast before church. We had time and I love these friends. Why not? It was because of my routine...my stupid routine that is frankly, boring. Thankfully I got myself together and had a great time (and ate a great Western PA breakfast!). It was a lovely, lovely way to start off this Sunday. And I also found a new place to eat that is right down the street from me (how had I never noticed it before???).
Also, I sat in a different pew then normal. That was great. I got to see an older gentleman that I've never noticed before pouring out his heart to God. It made me pause and really appreciate everything about this life.
Back to the article I mentioned earlier. This line particularly stuck me: "The poet Billy Collins once laughingly observed that all babies are born with a knowledge of poetry, because the lub-dub of the mother's heart is in iambic meter. Then, Collins said, life slowly starts to choke the poetry out of us. It may be true with music, too."
I'm taking this to heart. I'm going to go out this week and try to find the poetry that I've lost. I'm going to break routine. I'm going to do something crazy. I'm going to talk to someone new. I'm going to enjoy life a little more.
And I'm going to keep listening to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp-Gl-70dSo
(Sorry I had to put the whole links in...they wouldn't show up any other way!)
