One Day is Enough

We were down to the last roll of toilet paper and my husband was looking longingly at the pages of some old second hand books that could be put to use. The snow was inches deep everywhere. There was no evidence left that we had cleared the front path earlier in the week. It looked like it was time to dig out the boots and make a trail to the local shop.

I picked up the camera thinking that I might be able to take some fancy snow pictures. I used to take lots of pictures when I was younger and worked my way up the camera hierarchy. Then I saw my brother Mike’s pictures and gave up trying. I have a simple point and click thing and I have never taken the time to read the manual properly! I have settled for “will-do” results figuring that the how-to-take-a decent-photo gene was all Mike’s.

Housing estates are not up to much in terms of scenery, even with a blanket of snow everywhere. Anywhere scenic is too far away to get to with the snow making many roads impassable.

It is amazing how much more carefully you look at things when you have a camera in your hand. I was looking up at the roofs of the houses, with their rows upon rows of icicles hanging down. The shadows of sunlight through bare branched trees were very pretty. I was looking for a robin to pose obligingly on the top of a snow capped garden gate but that didn’t happen!

Without the camera in my hand I would not have looked at things as closely as I did. It made the journey to the local shop a much more interesting one.

I wish I could train myself to be more observant, to take an interest in what happens all around me. How many things do I miss seeing because I have a head down, hands in pockets, marching from one thing to the next kind of attitude to life?

I was sitting down this morning thinking about changes in attitude and action – the New Year resolution thing. I think I almost heard God groan, push back the legs of the throne, scraping it along the gold tiles of the throne room, muttering something about coming back later when I was all done.

“OK, so it’s New Year, and yes, a new decade…but do we have to do this? Can’t you just make the change for one day, and then try it the next day…just one day at a time?”

One day is enough.

So, today I am going to remind myself to lift up my head, take my hands out of my pockets and take an interest in what happens all around me. I will seek to be more observant.

And then I will try and do the same tomorrow!

One day is enough.