There is something I’ve been guilty of lately.
Not noticing.
If it were left up to me, I could happily spend most of my days at home. I’d write, cook, read, and if I needed my daily dose of sunshine, I’d probably just stand in the doorway for a few minutes and call it enough.
I know that’s part of who I am.
So every day I make myself go outside.
I go for a walk to get my steps in. To spend a little time in the sunshine. To breathe fresh air. It’s become part of my routine, and I genuinely enjoy it.
At least, I thought I did.
Before I leave the house, I do what I’ve done almost every day for months.
I start my Apple Watch.
I put in my earbuds.
I choose something to listen to.
Then I start walking.
There’s nothing wrong with any of those things.
But recently I realized something.
Almost all of my attention was somewhere other than where I was.
I was watching my pace.
Checking my distance.
Listening to music.
Thinking about how many steps I had left before I reached my goal.
My body had switched to autopilot.
I was aware of people around me, but mostly as objects to walk around.
I wasn’t really seeing my neighborhood.
I was simply moving through it.
One morning I caught myself looking down at my watch again.
I looked up.
The mountains were there.
They had been there every morning.
The sky was a deeper blue than I remembered.
A breeze moved through the trees.
Somewhere nearby, birds were carrying on a conversation I had apparently been missing for weeks.
None of those things had suddenly appeared.
I had.
Or maybe that’s not quite true.
My body had been showing up.
My attention hadn’t.
That made me wonder how often I was doing the same thing in the rest of my life.
How many meals had I eaten while thinking about what came next instead of tasting what was already on my plate?
How many conversations had I rushed through because my mind was already working on tomorrow?
How many mornings had I traded for another item on my to-do list?
I have spent so much of my life trying to be more efficient.
Looking for the best way to do something.
The quickest way.
The smartest way.
Anything to save a few minutes.
And to be fair, that mindset has helped me in a lot of ways.
My walks have improved my health.
My Apple Watch has encouraged me to keep moving.
The watch wasn’t the problem.
Somewhere along the way, I realized I had become more interested in finishing my walk than experiencing it.
I wasn’t only trying to reach a step goal.
I was trying to live a healthier life.
Part of living a healthier life is noticing the world you’re walking through.
The sunshine.
The mountains.
The changing seasons.
The maintenance man who always waves.
The ordinary things that quietly become the memories we miss one day.
Maybe beauty hasn’t become rare.
Maybe we’ve simply become busy.
Busy enough to walk through beautiful places without ever really seeing them.
Tomorrow I’ll probably still wear my Apple Watch.
I’ll probably still listen to music.
I’ll probably still count my steps.
But I think I’ll leave one earbud out for a little while.
Because it would be a shame to spend my whole life moving through beautiful places…
…without ever really noticing them.
Please like, comment, and share
Resources for Hard Times
If you’re looking for practical help, food support, or community resources, you can visit the Salt, Ink & Soul Resources Page.
Salt,Ink, & Soul 