I usually run the same path everyday with the girls in the Como Park area. The running group named the two mile loop the “torpedo” path – there’s a World War II monument where we start. After passing the torpedo, we run past the baseball fields, in between the zoo, mini golf course and conservatory and then back to the lake. To get additional miles, we then run around the lake one or two times. It’s kind of a habit.
The good thing is that once you get a habit established (running, writing, reading…) instead of pushing yourself to do it, you are naturally pulled to do it. Habits can also get us into an autopilot mode where we stop noticing what’s around us. We lose our peripheral vision of our world. In our focus to get from point A to point B, we miss what is right in front of us – the beauty of nature, the warmth of the sun on our face or the opportunity to help someone out who may be having a tough time and we don’t notice it.
A few weeks ago, I decided to actually go inside the conservatory that we run by every day. To take time out of my very scheduled schedule and actually pass through a place I usually pass by. I’ve lived in the Como area for almost 20 years. When we were kids, a day at the zoo and conservatory was a special occasion. While I only spent 30 minutes walking through, it was an old experience that was new again. The fragrance of the flowers and plants floated in the humid air and the vivid colors were bursting.
We can discover the everyday wonder that’s right in front of us when we start passing through time instead of merely passing by. It’s the same world, but it’s made brighter with new eyes. Open all of your senses – buy yourself flowers; make something new for dinner and eat slowly savoring the flavors; turn off the television and listen to music; call a friend or family member and ask them how they are doing. Foster a new appreciation for the moments you are in right now instead of focusing on the next item on your “to do” list. There is wonderment all around us right now, take it in everyday.
Marjorie McNeely Conservatory, Como Park