"I guess I never paid that much attention"

“I guess I never paid that much attention.”

This phrase keeps coming up in my vocabulary over and over. And I continue to ask myself “Why didn’t you pay that much attention?”

Was it because I was so absorbed in the problems in everyday life that I didn’t realize that the snow geese have landed in the field across my house for the past few years?

Was it because of that same reason I didn’t realize that a house across the road from me is actually a bright blue? Was it always that color? I dunno because “I never paid that much attention.”

My problem with this started in high school when I looked out the window and noticed a tree several stories high growing. I had never noticed it before. And I’m pretty darn sure it didn’t just grow overnight. I had passed that tree going to class for two years before I finally noticed it.

I find this sad. Sad for me and sad for everybody else that I hear utter that phrase. There is so much more to life (and I’ve said this many times over so far this year) than the daily grind.

There are birds.

There are trees.�There’s even the stupid trees at Wal-Mart that are budding out already when it’s only 15 degrees out. Hey, it’s humorous!!

There’s the little child in front of you in the checkout line peeking out behind its mother and giving a smile — only wanting a few moments of attention.

There’s the animal tracks near the mailbox made during a muddy day. Deer? Bigfoot? Ok, so random, but it’s still worth noticing!

And there’s even the subtle cry for help from a friend or person in need. If you’re not looking, you might miss it. If you’re absorbed in yourself or your daily problems, yeah, you’ll miss it. I myself, am very guilty of that in recent years. To everyone who I have “overlooked,” I’m sorry.

So today and hopefully every day forward I am going to try and notice everyday beauty. Pay more attention. Look around me. There’s so much in life that makes me smile. I love life.

And I love the World around me. It can be a beautiful place — it all depends on how you look at it.