The Return Trip, part 2: The Pause Button

"Now and then it is good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

-- Guillaume Appollinaire

What if you could pause time's relentless flow?  Where would you choose to pause?  What would you choose to pause?  And more importantly, with whom would you pause?

sketch of the Bee County Coop by David Borden
"50 lb CORN $" (c) 2014 David Borden
I have been "pausing time" more lately.  And by pausing, I mean recognizing a wonderful moment while I'm in it, reminding myself to savor, be present, be grateful.  In fact, I paused along the roadside to do this sketch a few days ago.  The sky was overcast, the day cold, drained of color, like overexposed film.  Not exactly plein air weather.  This industrial scene burped out of the landscape.  At first it struck me as ugly, but as I sat by the roadside, the chilly damp around me, it's shapes surrendered their strange beauty.

I could have sped down this misty road, through this familiar jumble of ramshackle Texas towns that started dying long ago when the interstate diverted their flow of travelers, when Walmat priced their general stores into bankruptcy, and their youth fled for the promise of an urban lifestyle.  I could have skipped over this weedy wilderness, this wasteland (as many would label it), anxious to get home as quickly as possible.

If I had approached this drive without "pausing," this image would have blurred past my rain-pearled window and into oblivion.  Instead, I took the time to tuck it into my sketchbook, into my memory, and, as a result I am able to share this moment with you.  I know I am happier for it, and I hope you are, too.

#happiness #meditation #contemplation #pausing #time #sketch


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