Winters in Chicago always send me into a creative funk, but sometimes we need stagnation in order to grow. Today I took advantage of the sunshine and went for a long walk with my camera. I had been battling a migraine and self-doubt all week and thought some fresh air might do me good. I took photos of trees and whatever objects I found interesting, but I was bored with the content and internalizing my frustrations. I decided to cut my losses and go home when I began craving french fries, and in a few minutes, I was at Mc Donald’s. I sat down and began scarfing my food.
It took a couple minutes for what was going on around me to sink in. An old man sat across the room with a large boombox plugged into the wall, listening intently to a political talk show with a furrowed brow. He looked like he was taking notes. Then he laughed out loud. I almost didn't notice the old woman sitting next to me. She had taken a vase of plastic flowers out of her bag, set them in the middle of the table and was eating her breakfast sandwiches with a fork and knife. I sat there for a while and soaked up this beautifully bizarre environment, forgetting where I was, forgetting my self-doubt, becoming the quiet observer.
For me, it's moments like these that make everything worth it. Moments that call into question your place in this world. Moments that make you feel small and your problems irrelevant. All we have to do is allow ourselves to notice them.
listen in between your notes
there's something been going on
while you were busy taking notes
and look in between your moments
there's something good happening
its good to sometimes
slow it down
