It was a rainy morning on the first day back from Fall Break. I had a midterm in my first class. I hadn’t done nearly enough work during the weekend, because let’s face it, no one is ever actually productive during “reading days.” But as I was walking home from class with my midterm behind me, I decided to do something new.
I noticed how the clouds were slowly drifting over the top of the mountains in the distance, so that the summit was completely covered in white and the edge of the cloud made a wispy border of curls under which the rest of the mountain emerged. I marveled for the umpteenth time at how beautiful our University is and I began to make a list of all of the beautiful things I saw on my 10-minute walk home.
1. The colorful leaves on the ground. I think the rain contributed to the amount of leaves which had fallen and there was a new cloak of yellow, red and orange covering the grass.
2. The reflection of trees in a puddle outside Wilson Hall. The stillness of puddles allows them to act as perfect mirrors, and for a second it looks as if the sky has transposed itself onto the ground.
3. The ripples in the puddle after I step onto the sky. I rediscovered the joy of jumping in puddles. As beautiful as the illusion of the sky on the ground is, it is so much fun to watch it dissolve back into the ground all because of my footstep.
4. A squirrel running away from the trash can with lunch in its mouth. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? That squirrel probably discovered the leftover scraps of an unwanted sandwich, but to him it must have seemed like a miraculous bounty.
5. The chirping of the birds. I think it was because the rain had just stopped, and perhaps they felt particularly eager to sing about it. Or maybe I was just more attuned to the sound of the chirping than I usually am. Either way, the chipper noise lifted my spirits.
6. The sound of the rain dripping from the tree branches. It was simple, but very peaceful. The mix of that and the chirping created a natural orchestra.
7. A tree off Hospital Drive leaning very much to the left. It almost seemed like it should be falling over completely, but somehow it maintained its center of gravity to remain standing. You do you, horizontal tree.
8. At the end of Hospital Drive, a pedestrian crossing sign where someone has added wings to the stick figure’s back. I don’t really understand why, and that is probably not legal, but hey, now the little guy can fly.
9. The laughter of a couple waiting to cross the street. They just seemed so happy doing something as mundane as waiting for the orange hand to turn into the white walking man and that is always a beautiful sight.
10. The comfort of my soft couch after I walked into my apartment and plopped down to relax for a bit. This is something that will never get old.
I noticed so many little things in that short walk that I probably would have ignored on any other day. Most of the time when I walk home I try to multitask, reading emails, responding to texts or checking Facebook as I dodge the people walking by me. But by taking the time to look around and listen to the things happening beside me I was able to remember how many beautiful things there are going on at any given moment.
We all need a little stress reliever as midterms drone on, and taking extra note of your surroundings is perfect for anyone who just needs to take a breath. We have to walk places all the time, so we might as well appreciate what's around us.
Kelly’s column runs biweekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at k.seegers@cavalierdaily.com.
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