Did you stop being too busy and bother to look around your surroundings today? If not, then you better plan ahead when to do it. Sooner or later, your workaholic nature and unstoppable motivation to rule the world in the future will eat up all your desire to space out. Before that happens, plan when. Plan now.
Now. While the world has still some green trees left rooted in its grounds; while there are still a yellow butterfly flapping its wings toward your direction and following you 'til it spots a real rose; while the wind can still hum quietly and its nameless song amplified by the rustle of trees; while there are still rivers calm and deep and alive with the breath of life; while there are still sunny weekends and you can still spot a faint set of colorful lines painted lightly on a canvass of a slightly darkened sky.
Now. While children still wear school uniforms and went to real, solid classrooms; while people still laugh and tease and talk loudly inside fast food chains while at break for work; while parents still hold their children's hands on crossing the street; while there are still a stranger willing to guide a lost old man for directions; while the world is still smiling at you up close even though they only met you once and haven't known your name.
Now. While random funny things happen around you and you chanced to witness it; while you can still hear clearly the voices of people and understand pieces of their lives by listening to their words and the way they say them; while you can still see the flickering, changing, and sparkling of street lights which give strange solace to the wanderers of the night; while you can still smell the familiar, nostalgic fragrance of freshly-baked bread as you pass by a famous bakeshop that says "we open at 8am" (which is relatively late); while you can still taste the sweetness of your favorite ice cream and how it tickles to feel it melting inside your mouth; while you can still feel the warmth and comfort of a friend's innocent, consoling touch.
I have stopped once in a while to look at a thing or two around the world I routinely roam into. Fortunately, I never failed to see things that make me smile, inspire me, or prompt me to do something nice. For example, I had this notion to count how many stairs I have to step on before I can catch the 11 o'clock train, and realized that each day, I've been climbing 95 steps... so in 5 days I've been catching my breath as I ran up a staircase equivalent to 95 x 5 steps (you do the Math). Thanks to that my knees don't ache now. That's a reason to smile, I guess.
Though admittedly, I still lack the observation skills equal to that of the "keenest". Some things slip without me noticing even a small trace of it. I've been missing a lot of details within my twenty years of existence for lack of attention, sensitivity and curiosity. Yet, I still want to develop what was left of my "observant side" and see things in a new light every time I make my way to my current..err.. career. Then from there, I can all have the reason to appreciate things more and gradually, nothing will be left unnoticed. As a matter of fact, I'm beginning to learn it now... because I'm seeing how much a smile, a kind word, a clean street, a witty joke, can make my day. All I need to do is to appreciate each, and believe that something bigger and better is bound to happen after each little thing I chose to be happy with.
