. . . take five minutes out of your busy life and . . .
. . . take time to . . .
- smell the coffee
- breathe in the scent of the air after a gentle rain
- listen to the sounds of leaves popping off a tree on a crisp autumn morning
- watch a spider spin its web
- watch the rabbit eat the monkey grass you paid good money for
- enjoy a glass of wine
- enjoy a margarita
- enjoy the world around you, as you take a step back, forget about deadlines, places to be, people to see, eating green eggs and ham in a box with a fox, or in the rain on a train . . .
You see, life is passing each and every one of us by. We're not taking time to watch the parade because we're too darn busy with this crazy thing called life.
My question: how are we truly supposed to write about the brief moments in time when we stop to just take in the beauty all around us, if we never stop to take in the beauty all around us?
How can I truly capture the essence of a cold, crisp autumn morning and the sound of leaves popping off the tree and gently falling to the dew soaked, slightly frosty ground, if I don't experience that moment?
Yeah, I know, I'm a writer and should be able to write about that moment without experiencing such a moment . . . but . . . isn't it better to write about something I know?
So, my challenge, to each and every reader of this blog, past, present, and future . . . STOP whatever you're doing and take some time to watch the chickadees at the bird feeder, or the deer wandering through the backyard and eating your prized roses, or the wild turkey that suddenly appears out of nowhere to eat your neighbor's blueberries, or sit outside with a cup of coffee on a cool autumn morning to stare up at the bluest-of-blue skies you've ever seen in your life.
As writers, we can create fantastic characters, worlds, and situations, but every now and then our characters need to STOP whatever they're doing in the crazy scenarios we've created in the depths of our imagination and let them just experience a subtle, quiet moment of life on a crisp autumn day or . . . whatever!
So, if your characters can do such a momentous thang, shouldn't you?
S
6 comments:
Scott, what a beautiful post. And it comes at a time when I needed it. God knows I do. Thanks.
And it got me to thinking(dangerous isn't it?) about something in my new WIP that I have left out. I appreciate you my friend. More than you could know. :)It also made me think to tell all my pals in the great blogosphere and beyond how much I appreciate them. :)
Robyn - thanks. I just want to note that this post wasn't supposed to, well, post until tomorrow. Obviously, it had other things in mind. Okay, I obviously mistyped the date when I was scheduling this post. Geesh!
I guess it was meant to post earlier since you needed it!
Oh, and watch it with that thinking thing, scary things can happen! : )
S
Fantastic post and so pretty! I actually make a point to stop and enjoy life from time to time. I love watching sunsets and savoring my coffee and lounging in the sunlight on a warm afternoon. Great post, Scott, and it drives home a point that's so important to everyone! :D
B.J. - thanks. For a post that shouldn't have posted until tomorrow . . . well, I'm glad it's making an impact. There are too many times when I don't take the time to appreciate the world around me. I'm trying more and more to take a least one moment, every single day! During the week, it's normal a moment in the evening. The weekends are all about enjoying the mornings.
I'm watching the leaves blow on the tree outside my window. Today, the tree is almost half red. Yesterday, it was only a third red. Time marches on...
Amen, Scott :). This is exactly what's been on my heart lately, too.
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