Tuesday, November 27, 2012

What's the Hurry?

Taken yesterday.
You can't tell very well, but the lamp was on
in the middle of the afternoon on that dark part of campus.
(Click and you can tell. And photos are always better when you click ya know!)
I have to turn this camera in tomorrow
(it was given me to use for Geological Photography class).
My old one is broken, so I don't know what I'll do now.
It's no fun blogging without pictures.
So, maybe I'll recycle some or look through files
for photos I haven't yet used. (There are a lot of recent ones.)

I had to do a lot of walking today. A lot.
A mile to here. A mile to there.
Then back over here. Then home.
Then another mile to this place.
Yet another mile to class.
Then home to stay at last.
That’s how it went today.
And all of that walking takes a lot of time.

At one point in the day, I thought,
“I have two finals to study for!
I don’t have time for all of this walking today.”
And I started ripping down the street
with steely-minded focus on my next destination.
Then I decided that this is no way to live my life
(life is made up of its minutes, after all, even if
those minutes take place walking to get somewhere).

So, I slowed down and looked around.
I got thankful, and to steal that old, tired cliché—
I focused on the journey and not the destination.
Like this:

I really do live in a pleasant neighborhood.
I’m getting lots of exercise!
It’s lovely walking across our picturesque campus.
The damp-sharp, crisp air feels lovely, too,
when bundled up warmly and walking briskly.

While walking, I occasionally see
one of those sweet late-autumn trees—
those little trees that are entirely barren
except for just a handful of earnest, colorful leaves
spaced evenly around their branches.
The leaves might cling, and I appreciate them,
but it’s inevitable—their life-season is ending.
And that’s the way it goes, right?
But while we’re in the space God put us,
we really should do our thing with all of our colorful might.
Like those bright little leaves.

Just had to remove something that was here
when I originally posted.
Some of you already read it.
But it just seemed too braggy!
Which is not okay. :-))
But it ended with this:
Encourage someone today. Every day!
You really don’t know how much they might need it.

And now, it's time to study for tomorrow morning's final!

8 comments:

  1. such a good reminder to slow down. thanks I needed that :) hope you ace your final today!

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    1. Thank you, Ruthie! I always need that reminder, too, obviously! I think the finals went well both yesterday and today, thankfully. It was a late night last night, and I thought I'd never be doing that at my age. . . :-)

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  2. SUSAN! I reread about half your archives in September because I missed you so much, then I come back here and find you blogging again behind my back! ;)

    This post right here is enough to cheer my whole day along. You are a blessing. Simple as that.

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    Replies
    1. Hi TONIA, my old friend! I try not to run around the internet promoting myself. ;-) But I am glad you came by. I miss you!

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  3. Oh, I agree! You bless me so much and help me to slow down and see all the beautiful things God is doing right around me!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Beth. I love the way you phrased that! :-)

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  4. Well I'm thankful you are here, with or without a camera. I still think of you when I make my coffee in the mornings! Good luck with your final final if there is still one more.

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    Replies
    1. That's funny, Lucille, because I often think of you when I have my coffee, too! We've talked about it several times over the years, so you often come to mind. There still is one more final (Monday), but two papers and a project are due Tuesday and Friday next week, too. Strange how finals week is stretching into two now, with more assignments than ever (depending on the professors, of course). Thanks, Lucille! I'll be thinking of you while I sip my coffee tomorrow!

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