“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
Today is the same as yesterday: rainy and damp, the sort of damp which brings a chill. It’s socks and sweatshirt weather.
Today while I was watching the rain fall I realized I have seen wonders all of my life. When I was a little kid, falling snow was mesmerizing. Each flake fell gently and silently and glistened in the street light. I watched from the front window to make sure the street was getting covered. That gave me hope for a snow day. Thunder and lightning never scared me; instead, I was delighted. The flickering black and white TV screen was like magic. Every day brought delights some as lowly as a grasshopper caught in a jar and others as lofty as an airplane with a white tail.
When I was older, a teenager, the wonders didn’t cease. My friends and I wandered Harvard Square, went to museums and watched movies at the Orson Wells. We rode toboggans at the golf course and went to drive-in movies for the fun of it. We celebrated Mardi Gras on the third floor of the library with our forbidden food. We felt like rebels. We were there to watch the start of the space race. All of my science fiction stories were coming to life. It was amazing.
College was the wonder of learning new things, of being on my own and of meeting new people from all over the place. My insular life started to disappear. I began to look way beyond my boundaries wondering what was there for me to find. I wanted to experience the unfamiliar, the unexpected and even the uncomfortable.
I couldn’t believe I was actually living in Africa. Everything was a wonder: the colors, the smells and the sounds. Each bus ride was an adventure. Market day was the most fun. I wandered the stalls, bargained and picked out my chicken. The amazing became the commonplace, and I loved every day.
In the summer, I watch the fireflies. In August I sit outside for the meteor shower. I still watch snowflakes fall under the back light. I love Christmas. In my backyard the trees have white lights which shine every night. I love looking at them through the windows. They give the yard a bit of fairyland.
It seems wonder stays with us all of us lives.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: Africa, Christmas, flickering TV screen, grasshoppers, market day, snowfalling, space race, thunder, widening boundaries, wonder
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
April 27, 2014 at 1:13 pm
Another wonderful day here and it will stay like this until the 30th, then we’ll have a few days of cold weather before it turnes to warmer again. An American weather foirecast istitution has predicted we’ll have a much warmer summer than normal this year and June plus July will probably be a bit more rainy but still much warmer.
I don’t trust them too much, the three last predictions they made have been so so except for the last that said a much warmer winter than usual, that was spot on. I don’t like the “a bit more rainy though 🙂
Yes life is full of wonders, every single day. The biggest one is that it’s a wonder that we don’t kill each other at work the times we feel sick just watching each other 🙂 🙂 🙂 But to be a bit serious, just think that the tiniest seed can grow to a big tree. There are seeds that has been laying dormant for over 30 000 years in the permafrost in Siberia that germinated as soon as they brought it in to a warm greenhouse!
Have a great day!
Christer.
April 27, 2014 at 1:23 pm
Christer,
We seem to have rain and more rain and a damp cold. Even the sunny days aren’t warm because of that ocean wind. I shouldn’t be surprised as this is a fairly common spring here by the ocean.
I am amazed at how our earth survives and even heals itself.
Birds carry seeds and all of a sudden a flower grows in an unexpected place. This year I even had daffodils in strange spots like the backyard. I never planted them. It’s a mystery how they got there.
Have a great day!
April 27, 2014 at 2:54 pm
Yes, wonder is still here with me– even when I least expect it.
Thanks, Kat, for reminding me. The days in bed seem long, but I am getting better.
Have a wonder-filled day.
Waving,
Lori and the Crew
April 27, 2014 at 3:18 pm
Lori,
I’m happy to here you are on the mend. Nothing is worse than being stuck sick in bed.
You too have a wonder-filled day!1
Kat and the gang
April 27, 2014 at 4:52 pm
I can remember every detail of what I was doing and the people I was with on that July night when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon. Like you I read and watched lots of Science Fiction as a kid and that night fantasy became reality. My grandmother arrived in this country at the age of 20 in 1905 and she witnessed every achievement from the Wright brothers to Neil Armstrong.
Everyday I awake on this side of the grass is a wonderful day and I try to take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the natural wonders.
We had brief thunderstorms this morning with partly cloudy skies with warm temperature and moderate humidity.
April 27, 2014 at 5:07 pm
Bob,
I was in Ghana during training in a town called Bawku and living with a Ghanaian family for three weeks. We all sat around the radio and listened to Voice of America describe the landing. It wasn’t as dramatic on the radio.
I agree that every day is an opportunity not to be ignored.
I do love thunderstorms. We had sun for about a half hour then the clouds rolled back in.
April 27, 2014 at 5:03 pm
My son is in Africa working as a safari guide. My wife and I visited him and were so proud of him as we witnessed him in action he is professional, attentive, caring, funny and insightful. It’s the first time I’ve felt truly looked after by one of my children – mind you, I’d have to feel like that as we trusted him completely when he took us on a spontaneous walk through the bush to stand 20 feet away from a cheetah and her 3 cubs! Back in England now I simply cannot get Africa out of my system – it’s under my skin (in a good way) and I desperately want to go back. You talk of wonders – that was a holiday full of wonder, awe and surprise.
April 27, 2014 at 5:13 pm
John,
Africa has stayed in my blood since I left in 1971 after living there for 27 months. I truly felt at home in Ghana. One of my friends came to visit me during my second year, and he couldn’t believe I would argue with a taxi driver over 20 pesetas (about 10 cents back then). It was the principle of the thing because I knew the correct price. I lived there after all.
I always vowed I would go back and did in 2011 for two weeks. It was such an amazing trip I went back in 2012 for three weeks. I am now trying to save enough money to go back in 2015. I found some of my students and that was the most amazing part of the trip. We stay in touch now.
I have friends who wouldn’t see the wonder. They would see the open sewers and the trash. They would miss all that is so amazing about Africa.
I’m so glad you found it. You gave yourself quite a gift. I think you gave your son one as well.
April 27, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Hi Kat,
There was a very brief period of sunlight a couple of hours ago. I took Rocky for another walk. Our first walk this morning was damp and cold. This one was just a bit cold.
Sometimes I think I’m in a constant state of wonder. I’m always looking for birds or plants and I want to know what they are. I drove my friends crazy in Texas because I kept staring at one bird that was apparently as common as city pigeons up here. They didn’t know what it was and it drove me nuts because I had never seen one. I figured it out eventually but I’m sure my friends thought I was strange.
Ooh! I see the sun again.
Enjoy the evening.
April 27, 2014 at 9:30 pm
Hi Caryn,
We saw the sun for about an hour. I memorized what it looked like as I hadn’t seen it in so long and was afraid I’d forget.
I’m with you in always wanting to know. I saw these beautiful birds in Ghana and not a single person knew their names. I went to an internet cafe to find their names.
Hope you had a great evening!