The Rest Of The Story

I took a drive yesterday to the other side of the mountain to see what I could see.

I got everything done that I thought I needed to, even a lot of the stuff I just thought I wanted to, and was headed for home.

 I was clicking right along when it dawned on me that I had forgotten to take many pictures.

Do-wah!!

Needless to say, as I was looking out my window at the scenery on my usual route back, a thought struck me as I viewed the perfect panorama flying past me.

The day was cloudy, and I thought it a shame, that I wouldn't be able to show you this scene in it's true to life view. The green's were fantastic against a washed out miserably leaky sky.

I simply couldn't keep looking with out stopping to take in the sights, sounds, and the remarkably clean scent of rain perfuming this piece of the world.

As I looked over the vista, something in the distance caught my little eye.

As I watched the pair of long legged nibblers making their high stepping way around,

two things invaded my train of thought and proceeded, unceremoniously, trouncing around my mind.

#1 What I was looking at was not what there was to see.

#2 Had I not stopped and taken a closer look, leaving my comfort zone and prejudgements behind, I would have missed this spellbinding ballet.

Suddenly, what was at first a simple pasture sprinkled liberally with tree's, became something much different!

Upon closer inspection the vast majority of the pasture was indeed, quite unmistakably, flooded.  

With at least 6-8 inches of water from the nearby river gearing up for it's annual Spring deluge. 

As I continued on my merry way, I took the opportunity to ponder upon the things I had just learned and, wondered how they could help me in my day-to-day life?

I believe, that all to often we have a tendency to look at places, things, and/or people, and think we are seeing the real thing, when in reality we are not often able to see the whole picture.

The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to tell us.

 From the out side things often look much different than they do from the inside.

May we be gentle with each other... 

And remember, that every one's life, has, a rest of the story.

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.

Lookin' up

When I first started going for walks I admit that I kept my eyes on the sidewalk or road right in front of me. I thought I needed to watch my step so I wouldn't trip and fall, or step off the walk way and twist my ankle or some such graceful thing along those lines.

And heaven forbid someone should see it happen!!

Come on...it has happened before...whats to stop it from happening again?!?

But after a while I found that I was missing so much because I was afraid to take the chance to look up.

At first it was a little weird because I couldn't walk straight and kept bumping into my daughter walking next to me and we'd laugh.

A lot.

But persistence eventually paid off as my gaze lifted off the immediate perceived dangers that I *might* face...

First to the lawns and flower beds, gardens and front porches.

Next I was looking at tree's and clothes lines, roof lines and mountains. 

Finally my gaze was fixed on the skies!!

My walks around town are a lot like the walks through my days.

If I spend to much time focusing on the things I think might or might not happen, chances are they probably will.

So please...take the time to lift your thoughts as well as your eye's...

You wont regret it!!

Smile and remember;

We're fool's whether we dance or not. So we might as well dance.