Little Things
Do you have a strange past time that makes you pensive and happy all at once? Me? I like taking walks. By myself, without a destination in mind. I like putting one foot in front of the other, and looking at my surroundings. Not just see them, but to really look at them. I like observing things like butterflies circling around the bushes, small dreamy little houses in a neighbourhood that I’ve walked past so often, you’d think I’d have paid heed to these small beautiful things before. But of course, in the scurry of everyday life, I walk without really seeing. Taking pauses is often too much of a luxury.
I love when the weather is slightly dreary, with soft rain drizzling down on me. The streets mostly deserted except for the occasional bikes and cars, people hurrying home before the worst of the rain. I enjoy walking past the quaint neighbourhoods nearby, where I can see people in front of their windows doing regular chores. I like this small glance into people’s homes, sneaking a look at their bookshelves or a cozy well-lived in room. Hearing tunes playing from the kitchens. Weary parents fixing a quick dinner for their children, lovers cuddling while they cook. Life is so predictable, yet full of charm. It comforts me to know that most of life is generally steady, with routine like a safety blanket to drape around your shoulders and curl into sleep with. It’s funny how everyday can sometimes look the same, but when you look back, it’s all different. I love collecting random thoughts as I stroll on, making up stories about the people I see and trading smiles with passers-by.
In the summer, when the sun graces the city with its cheery presence, I enjoy looking at the urban gardeners, tending to their bright flowery plants. I am instantly pleased (and envious) when I spy tall sunflowers in front of the bigger houses or on the terrace of a hippy quarter. Pairs soaking up the last of the sun on their balconies, with a glass of wine and a blanket ready to cover them when the sun goes down. As I walk past unknown lanes, I hear the buzz of chatter, bicycles whizzing by silently and church bells tolling every hour. I notice tender moments like an old couple holding hands as they shuffle towards the grocery store. I see new parents making faces at their baby in a pram.
As I take these walks, I think of all the things I worry about everyday, the stresses I fill my mind with, leaving no time for me to notice all the beauty around me. For me, taking these small walks are a reminder to just pause from time to time, to un-complicate and to be present. Like a poet once said,
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?”
If you haven’t yet found your weird past time, I encourage you to go take a walk, you might just find yourself more inspired than you were before.
