When traveling in the national parks it not uncommon to see signs that say something like, "Take nothing but pictures." I've always tried to be obedient. Today I paid a little bit of the price for that obedience.
I spent the morning sorting through pictures that Vonceil and I took in July and August, most of which were taken in national parks. 1494 pictures to be exact. Our camera shop seems to take pride in its ability to shuffle our order so it took a while to get pictures of locations and events organized semi-chronologically.
Challenging as the work was, it was a wonderful way to spend the day at home while the plumbers completed their work in our kitchen and bathroom. The delight came not from organizing my pictures but organizing the memories that go with them.
Some people talk about looking forward to retirement so that they can travel. For me, the travel itself is only a small part of the fun. I thoroughly enjoy the planning and preparation for the trip. And, I revel in the memories.
When I run across a picture from Yosemite or Glacier or Muir Woods or one of the other amazing places I've been able to go, my heart beats just a bit faster. I have a few seconds of awe and wonder and delight, even while sitting at the computer.
We all need a little awe and wonder and delight in our lives. It breaks up the monotony, jars the mundane, and puts what is important back in its rightful place. For me, that starts through traveling to majestic or historic places. Those experiences sprinkle themselves over my brain like salt and pepper giving a little more flavor and color to everyday living.
So, if given a choice, I'll let my brain be seasoned throughout life and revel in the memories rather than waiting for a nebulous future time to do so.
And to the national park service, I didn't take any rocks or flowers or twigs or pine cones or any of those things with me from the parks. But each time I come home I seem to have a taken a lot more from your parks than just 1494 pictures.
Thanks for reading,
Jeff
No comments:
Post a Comment