Wide-Eyed Wonder

I could make the same walk from my little home to the train station every morning under a perpetual cloud of apathy. It would be very easy as I have been following that path for at least four years now. Down the house-lined road, behind the Subway sandwich shop and the oral surgeon's practice, cross the street in front of the grocery store where I had my first job, around the mall parking lot, under the over-pass and finally down the tunnel to the train platform.

I tried biking, but then my bike was stolen one night. That's a story not worth telling.

It could be boring, but I choose to deny my walks that quality. In fact, I will go so far as to say that I don't let myself be bored by daily events. How do I do that, you might ask? Off the top of my head I would say: not being shy to stare open-mouthed at the behemoth that rose into the air directly over my morning walk.

This behemoth to be exact:



Air France A380

The A380 is the world's largest passenger aircraft. It can carry up to 583 (which was about the population of my high school) passengers. As is rumbled into the dense, grey storm clouds I stood like a child, fixated with eyes opened so wide I thought they might fall out onto the sidewalk. 

'It's so big!' I wanted to shout to no one in particular. 'And so loud!'

I continued to picture it in my mind long after the plane had vanished into the cloud cover. I can still hear the monstrous rumble, groan and hiss of the turbines and see the glint of light on it's pristine white hull.

Granted, a plane like that doesn't take off over my morning walk every day but that doesn't mean I have to resign myself to a dull commute until the next one comes along. I try to observe my surroundings as if seeing them for the first time. I'm often surprised at how easily I can laugh at the world and myself when I do this.

What brings wonder and joy to your everyday existence?