The scenic view
Remember being a kid and venturing into all kinds of tunnels and hideyholes and nooks and crannies? I used to love jungle gyms as a kid. Climbing up those ropey webs, stepping across the wood poles of differing heights as I crossed the play area, running across the hanging bridge…
Everything was fascinating and interesting as a kid. Every new vantage point and view had so much to offer. Up high, down low, through the slats of the fort. Each place offered the promise of something I’d never seen before.
We just don’t seem to have those options built in as adults. First of all…where are the adult playgrounds?! (And no, I don’t mean Vegas) When I think about my days, they are defined by a fair amount of routine and habit. The same things day to day - exercise, meditation, eating, the ways and places I work, where and how I connect with friends.
Now, I have nothing against routine. In fact, I love having my sacred morning routine (dare I say ritual) and other routines help me do the important things each day or week without much cognitive energy.
But sometimes I wonder if I’ve tipped too far. If the routines that keep the trains moving are the same ones that swiftly bypass those serendipitous stops that would allow for magic. For that unexpected view or perspective.
I know it’s not about throwing out the baby with the bathwater and upending the structures I’ve built in my life…but maybe there is space to explore a new perspective or pause for whimsy now and then…
