Noticing

I walk my dog.  Every day.  Pretty much the same route.  It varies some, but I have several large parks in my neighborhood that we explore.  My subdivision is considered “the prairie” on the eastern edge of Denver.  There are large, green grassy areas, but there are also vast expanses of natural grasses and wildflowers.  The photo above are some wildflowers I picked this morning.  I have never stopped long enough to pick flowers on any walk.  To be honest, this was the first morning that I truly noticed them.

I woke this morning going over the brunch I would be making in a few hours for two friends from high school.  One of whom was recently diagnosed with ALS.  In reviewing the menu, I realized that I had neglected to buy any flowers at the store.  No big deal I thought.  No one will notice but me.  Of course, then I started thinking about my friend.  The details of the day mattered. 

I thought about the devastating diagnosis she is living with daily.  What is she noticing?  What matters to her.? As I watched both my parent’s journey through cancer, I had the same thoughts, “What they are paying attention to?  What matters?”  I questioned what I would be noticing. What I would be feeling, if I knew this might be the last birthday, holiday, family gathering.  The last sunrise.  The last sunset.  The last snow. 

I have been reading a book on the attention economy.  How our attention has become a marketable resource, something captured to make money.  And we fall for it.  Because we are human.  And because good marketing professionals know how to make us look their way.  More people looking at your product, more money in the bank.  In doing so, we are not noticing the things that are most important to us.  Nature, family, friends, ourselves.  Even the dog looks askance when I pick up my phone. 

 The author talks about a project in 2015 where tickets were sold to an event titled Applause Encouraged.  Participants arrived 45 minutes before sunset on a cliff overlooking the sea in San Diego.  A greeter checked guests, showed them to their seats, and reminded them that no photos were allowed.  They watched the sunset.  And when it was over everyone applauded and refreshments were served.  I love the beauty of this but was also sad that the people attending had to buy tickets, put it on their calendar and schedule something as simple as a sunset.  An everyday occurrence, if we just stop to notice it.  I know that was the point, but what does that really say?

We are so distracted most of the time we miss life happening all around us.  Messages being sent that fly past unnoticed.  These were the thoughts roaming in my head as I got in the shower after putting on one of my favorite playlists.  I started to laugh as I “noticed” what songs were randomly being played.  Those of you that know me, know I do not believe in random.  So I started really listening. 

There was a theme.  The first song was Toby Keith’s Don’t Let the Old Man In.  My favorite lines… “Many moons I have lived, My body's weathered and worn, Ask yourself how would you be, If you didn't know the day you were born.”  Age really is just a number.   Next was Tim McGraw’s Live Like You Are Dying about a friend given a fatal diagnosis and how that shifted their perspective on life.  Then Edith Piaf’s Non, je ne regret rein (no, I regret nothing).  I’m sure you see the theme.  This may seem coincidental, but the playlist I chose has 476 songs in it….and these are the ones that came up.  I listened to 10 songs before I had to get ready for the day.  All random, all the same perspective.  Live your life.  Love yourself.  PAY ATTENTION.  The truth is, I am not facing a fatal diagnosis, but I also do not know what tomorrow brings.  Today is ALL we have.

After listening to the message that was coming through loud and clear from someone…the Universe, God, who knows…. I took the dog for a walk.  And noticed all the beautiful wildflowers right outside my back door.  Flowers, grasses, even some plants considered weeds.  All beautiful.  All free.  All so happy to just bloom on a beautiful Sunday and be noticed.  So, I picked some and went home to make brunch.

I created a new playlist of the songs from this morning, if you are interested.  All ten songs, plus one for fun.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4jx2mnJXOPXGuBj0KdKeLV?si=5125de06da7346bd