There’s a bird hanging around outside, one that’s been frequenting the yard on and off for the past couple of weeks. It’s a cardinal. Pretty, but not extraordinary around here.
This particular bird, however, is a bit peculiar in that it seems to have some interesting blotchy marks on its wings. Or maybe its belly. Or its back? Perhaps it’s just a juvenile taking his first flights into adulthood. I can’t be sure because I’m a typically nearsighted book nerd and the pesky little guy refuses to sit still long enough for me to get my phone or binoculars.
So I think it may have some unusual markings, but maybe it’s just me. All I know is that it’s interesting and I’d like a closer look.
I haven’t been able to get that close-up look, yet, but the possibility of it keeps me focused, and paying attention to what I can see. Squirrel shenanigans, a giant lazy bumblebee, gulls riding air currents overhead, a huge black wasp, a tiny little bee feeding on grass flowers, a chipmunk, lightning bugs in the yard, the beauty of the volunteer daisies around the corner of the house.
I may not always see everything I hope, but I see far more than I would if I were not paying attention at all.
And that’s a very good thing.
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
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J.R. Johnson 
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