Last year's orange-shriveled apple hangs over Keweenaw Bay
I sincerely hope I would notice if the sky chose to fall.
Wouldn’t you like to think you’d be aware enough to notice that the sky was falling from the heavens–although I certainly have trouble imagining what that would look like. I mean–truly, people–what in the world did Chicken Little mean when he ran breathless pronouncing, “THE SKY IS FALLING!!” ?
After this morning, though, I am suddenly doubtful. Here’s what happened. Some of you may know that I am taking yoga classes these days. $20 for a private one-hour lesson. It works. Think how easily you can lose a $20 bill. Think how easily you can lose it on something that really doesn’t matter. Yoga matters. Therefore, I am on the mat every Tuesday at 10 a.m. at a cool place called Intention Yoga in downtown LA. (That’s L’Anse, Michigan…for those of you who might be confused.) OK, for the last two weeks, anyway.
And, ladies and gentleman, it is sooooooo fun! It truly is. OK, the stretches can kinda get stretchy…but that’s the point. It’s a good stretch when it hurts a little bit, but not enough not be a bad hurt. We all know the distinction. And I am lovin’ putting awareness smack-dab in the body.
Unfortunately (clearing throat) I apparently–STILL! After all this time!–can sometimes not see What’s in Front of the Nose.
My yoga teacher, Shanel, pointed me to the mat. I saw the mat, the strap, the blanket, the eye covering (for the meditation later). I saw Shanel very clearly. Very intently.
She suddenly said, “I am sorry about the ceiling falling down in that wind last week.”
The ceiling falling down??? What the heck was she talking about? What ceiling? I stared, befuddled, at her.
“What ceiling, Shanel?”
She stared back at me in disbelief.
“Up above you!”
I looked up.
And, sure enough, there was a gaping hole in the ceiling. A ceiling panel was lying against the wall.
The ceiling had fallen down and I HAD NOT NOTICED!!
It still amazes me what we see, and what we don’t see. I see the oddest things and miss the most ordinary things sometimes. Most folks open the door to a shop and take in the people–what they’re wearing–how they look–how the room looks. Right?
When I’m around people, I focus so intensely on their essence that I miss all the physical details. Well, that’s an exaggeration. But I focus so intensely on FEELING the person, that it doesn’t matter two hoots whether they’re wearing blue or orange or if someone chopped their hair off two inches or if they have blue or brown eyes.
And I simply will not notice if your ceiling has fallen down!! And I want to apologize for that up front. Please point it out.
Sunlit sky aflame with color
Having confessed this to you, I will admit something else. If no people are around–and I’m out in nature–I will see a LOT. I will notice the sky is falling. And probably try to document the way it falls with colors and hues and patterns and angles and up-close and far-away and oh-my-goodness isn’t this fascinating?
Therefore, if the sky decides to fall, I can only hope that I am not around people. People are far too distracting…
Lake Superior Spirit 
I understand completely: People are too distracting…. and when the sky decides to fall I hope I am there to record it for whatever time it takes…
I love that last photograph of the sunset and reflection! Well done!
I am Love, Jeff
http://jeffstroud.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/there-are-so-many-paths/
Jeff, I am sure you would be there with camera in hand as the sky fell! Once again, congratulations on starting your own blog. We’ll be glad to see your photographs and read your thoughts.
“Sunlit sky aflame with color” — the sky was on fire with color and you definitely captured that! It’s a stunning photograph; a wonderful gift for my eyes to receive this evening. Thank you.
Laurie Buchanan
http://holessence.wordpress.com/
Laurie, I stopped on the way home from a meeting last night to photograph the sunset. Loved the way the light shined through the trees. Couldn’t quite capture the entire beauty of it…but gave it a good “shot”. Tee hee…
Oh boy, Kathy, can I ever relate to what you describe! I see things that nobody else notices and I am often oblivious to whatever is apparent to everyone else! I’ll be talking to someone sporting a brand new hairstyle and not even notice… And once my husband shaved off his mustache and, I kid you not, it took the better part of a day for me to notice it. But if someone is feeling blue or tense I can feel that energy right away.
More beautiful pictures – it’s such a treat to visit you every day. Spectacular sunset!
Barbara, high five! Another one of us. Phew. (I wouldn’t have noticed the mustache, either…) But, yep, can feel the slightest differences in energy.
I’m with you. Most visual details elude me. I’m usually listening and feeling. However, there are exceptions. The last picture of the sunset is absolutely stunning!
Marianne, glad to hear it. I wrote a blog earlier this year about being a “recovering non-visual person”. Here it is: https://upwoods.wordpress.com/2010/01/10/confessions-of-a-recovering-non-visual-person/
I’m really trying to work on it!
Periods of intense concentration do mean we notice what we need to, this was an hilarious but thoughtful post. I really enjoy the way you write and have been to yoga before not for a long while now. Some very lovely images!!!
June, it’s true. We notice what we need to. Maybe we don’t need to notice that the ceiling fell down! LOL. I used to do yoga before, too, but never stuck with it. Am hoping to get more dedicated this time around.
I too enjoyed the sunset, which was my favorite picture. I actually thought the orange was a tomato, by actually looking at the shape more than anything. I am color-blind, so I guess the shape snaps out at me first as I am trying to discern what color it is. I tend to see a slight gray tinge to colors, although I do see all the colors and can distinguish them.
There are those that distinguish the details and those that do not. I audit different laboratories and am a detail person. I notice all kinds of things that others will say, “we never saw that!” Now thats where I end in the creativity realm, unless it is a problem I am trying to solve. All of you blogging friends have opened a totally different world to me, rather then science and medicine that I deal with day-to-day. Photography, writing, art, pottery, gardening etc…..the list goes on
I have pretty much been indoors most of my adult working career and don’t have much time to spend outdoors in real nature. My husbands idea of nature is to go golfing. It would be a major miracle to get him to go hiking , camping, etc, especially with me. He does love to go fishing in Northern Minnesota, but not with me. I love to fish and grew up along the Mississippi for 30 some years. I also grew up with boating on the Mississippi. This is something I really have a passion for, to no avail.
I will dream anyway! And sometimes I do, that I am going down a wild rapids on a raft..lots of fun and anticipation of that drop into the fall……
…:-)
Kim, it’s not an orange–it’s an apple. And it’s my fault. I worded it wrong. I said it was an orange shriveled apple. My husband read it and said, “What are you talking about–an orange?” And I said, “No! An apple.” I should have changed it at that very moment but I was stubborn. Now you–and Dawn–think we’re growing oranges in the Upper Peninsula and I am guilty of starting a false rumor. Sigh.
I am very glad that we bloggers are opening up your world with lots of creativity and art and writing! Isn’t it fun? P.S. OK, Kim, here’s the scoop. You’ll have to start going fishing and boating by yourself! Who cares whether the husband goes along? I do tons of stuff without Barry. Don’t just dream…when’s you next holiday? Rafting adventure, here you come!
I am game!
He is not talking to me anyway! after yesterday…..
Like I said I could take pictures, however I think the camera would break, its that bad.
Have a wonderful evening!
Kim
You have oranges up there? Hmmmm…that threw me for a loop, I never noticed them when l lived there! Talk about not being observant!
Dawn (please read comment to Kim)…I am sorry. It’s not an orange. If the U.P. grew orange trees the sky WOULD be falling down. I put in a hyphen in the sentence to make it more understandable. Orange-shriveled apple. The apple was colored orange. Very orange after the long winter. (See, you were observant!)
We all miss so much in every moment. It is just what we choose/have the capacity to take in. Sometimes I despair of what I am missing in a given moment when I want to take everything in, but I guess it is just part of the human condition, needing acceptance, that I can never. Sometimes I am just curious about what I can’t see or hear or perceive, that is beyond my senses. Or why within the senses’ perception I focus in on this or that. Fascinating, as Spock would say.
Nicole, you are so right. So very right. Perhaps part of our challenge is that we simply have to gracefully accept our limited ability to take in everything. As much as we would like to. Perhaps a great deal of our suffering is that we simply deeply want to perceive Everything. Maybe?
Kathy I experience the same thing! I have to get to know someone over time before I relax enough to notice the details. What a great post! How amazing. Speaking of not noticing details… a few weeks ago I went out with odd mismatch shoes again. This time I was less surprised and now very carefully grab a matching pair before I put the first one on. But I will spot the eagle in the tree across the valley with nothing more than a swift glance:)
Terrill, it is so comforting to know there are others who have gone forth in the world wearing mismatched shoes! 🙂 I can remember the time I did that–leaving for a rally at 4:30 in the morning–and the feelings of humiliation. But we are lucky we can see so many other delightful things that others miss altogether. It’s a strange world… (and I see that eagle too!)
Oh, I’m glad you are enjoying the yoga! I thought you would! 🙂
Have you tried it with a class, too? I think the energy of a group of people in a good class has benefits all its own.
P.S. Watch out for ceilings.
Emma, I have tried a class before. It was fun! However, it was challenging to be there every week at the same time. Because other adventures competed with it. I am hoping the individual instruction will lead to a personal routine… Looking up at the ceiling now. It’s still intact…
Kathy, something tells me that Chicken Little chick was way too concerned about current events. If she was more into the essence of humans or nature she would have been more our type of chicklet.
Signed,
Clueless about ceilings falling in Cow Bay
Oh Amy…”our type of chicklet”…sigh…
We are on the Same Page. Chicken Little was overly concerned with current events. Thank goodness for those of us fascinated with essence. Phew…
It’s obvious that the Sky is NOT falling!
Oh Kathy, you had me laughing out loud at this. Literally. No fake lol here. Between reading this and recalling eagles smacking straight into trees, you’ve made my week! I’m still laughing. So glad we’re meeting. Thank you!
Shanel, I LOVE that you stopped by to visit the blog. It was funny, wasn’t it? (And…pssstttt….it’s our little secret about the eagle smacking into the trees…) LOL! See you Tuesday at Yoga!