Tintern Abbey
Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods
And mountains, and of all that we behold
From this green earth; of all the mighty world
Of eye and ear, both what they half create
And what perceive; well pleased to recognize
In nature, and the language of the sense,
The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul,
Of all my moral being.
William Wordsworth, 1798
Recently David tweeted a majestic picture from the coastline of California. His comment was about seeing the ocean and mountains in the same scene as he drove along the California Pacific Coast Highway. I thought to myself how nice it was that he had the time to take such a beautiful picture when most of his days are spent in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. The view gave him a glimpse of two of the natural elements he enjoys the most. Seeing them in one place caused such an excitement that he had to share it with his fans. A connection was made.
View from the Pacific Coastal Hwy. Photo credit David Archuleta
For me there was a message hidden in that picture that I intend to heed. We hear the phrase “Stop and smell the roses” but do we really make the effort to follow through? Being caught up in a daily routine that allows for little time for things that seem less important, can take the life out of the moment. David inspired me to take the long way home and enjoy the sights that the country roads I travel every day provide. The baled hay sitting in the fields stacked like boxes. Large, orange pumpkins still on the vine, waiting patiently to be selected by a child who is eager to carve a scary face on it for Halloween. Farm stands who have served their usefulness in sharing the summer’s bounty with passers-by, now offer colorful chrysanthemums to grace local gardens. These are the scenes that I see most frequently on my ride home each day. I am reminded that I live in a small farming community that is about providing for others. I look forward to the coming days when the leaves turn color and brighten my way with fiery red bursts and shades of russet. This may seem small when compared to the majestic scenery of the California coastline, but it serves my desire to take time out and look around at the beauty of what I have close to home.
Pied Beauty
Glory be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swíft, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise Him.
Gerald Manley Hopkins 1918
“It’s usually the little things that make the big difference in our lives.” David Archuleta, October 6, 2011
Beach in Okinawa
So I am grateful to David, that he is an influence in my life that helps me see things more clearly. If you have had a moment recently where you stopped and took time for a good look at something in your area that gave you great pleasure to observe, please share it with us in comments?
Like this:
Like Loading...
bebereader
djafan
MT
Angelica
voiceadmin
