"I’ve learned that amazement is less of a personality trait and more of a muscle. It grows with use. In fact, it requires use to stay healthy." Good to know, because if it were the first, we would just assume we have it or we don't and can't do anything about it, but the second; it's in our hands to go out and exercise that priviledge! This is such a wonderful essay, Sydney!
This hits hard in many places as a dad of one big eyed 3 year old, rediscovering the amazing in the mundane. I think you’d like my pieces on mundane photography and photography as therapy over on Medium:
The older I get the more the dichotomy hits me - I have so much mundane admin to do that getting excited about the mundane things my daughter gets really into takes real effort, but the payoff is a wide eyed smile as she explains it, tells a story about it, and my brain just sits back in wonder at how amazing her imagination is.
I would love to see through the eyes of a three year old again directly, but for now, I’ll have to make do with my daughter’s perception. :)
Sydney, My goal is to encourage people to exercise the muscle of amazement. Slow down - see - It is a world filled with awe, and we let it go by unnoticed. Cut from the same clothe, D
"A person who is curious, and then amazed, becomes a person who cares. A person who cares, connects. A person who connects, cultivates."
This is so simple and so important. Indeed a prescription for the betterment of the world. I enjoyed reading this essay a lot, Sydney :) Looking forward to more!
What a beautiful post, thank you, Sydney. Nature truly is amazing in a myriad of wonderful ways! ! I was introduced to you Don Boivin and delighted to have found you. Thank you, Don, I hope you both have a lovely day.
I'm so glad I found this ode to the love of nature. I am so sorry for your old friend who could not find it in her soul to respond to a cardinal. But your lovely tribute must have inspired a few "Ahh" moments among your readers.
I love the expression "prone to amazement"! I became prone to amazement as a result of spending a year of taking and posting photos ages ago now, but it made me really *notice* things and l've never stopped noticing and being excited by what l find. Ooh! Intricate seed pod! Oooh! Tiny mushroom! OMG! Wombat poo! 😄 (l'm Australian). Life is so much rewarding this way.
So uplifting, Sydney! I learned something new today— amazement is a muscle. Thank you! Last week, I noticed during my walk that the cherry blossom trees around the corner were starting to bloom. I stopped and stared in amazement. Six days later, we drove by and the blossoming had accelerated— amazing!! I can’t wait to see their progress and witness their full bloom. Just wanted to share that with you!
I consider curiosity as a vital personality trait...Being curious about the things around you, about the people you interact with, about other cultures, about yourself, about nature. You never run out of things to think, or do or talk about, or question and listen to if you are curious and have a sense of wonder.
Beautiful hummingbird photo! And I love the Cardinal story. This past weekend we were amazed by watching Ruddy Ducks bobbing on the lake, storm clouds closing in, and a sleepy toad peeking out from its burrow.
Lovely. I was amazed by all the different shapes, colours, textures of moss, lichens, and fungal spots growing all over our apple trees branches and trunk today. I've seen it before but today it just seemed to grab my attention, dripping with tiny globes of water on a drizzly, foggy day.
A shimmer! Oh my goodness. I LOVE THAT. I'm coming out of my own cotton-packed time, so this post is quite meaningful as I get back into my writing. Thank you.
"I’ve learned that amazement is less of a personality trait and more of a muscle. It grows with use. In fact, it requires use to stay healthy." Good to know, because if it were the first, we would just assume we have it or we don't and can't do anything about it, but the second; it's in our hands to go out and exercise that priviledge! This is such a wonderful essay, Sydney!
This hits hard in many places as a dad of one big eyed 3 year old, rediscovering the amazing in the mundane. I think you’d like my pieces on mundane photography and photography as therapy over on Medium:
https://medium.michael-elliott.photography/photographing-the-mundane-2bfcc16dad38
https://medium.com/counterarts/the-performative-therapy-df57311f9043
The older I get the more the dichotomy hits me - I have so much mundane admin to do that getting excited about the mundane things my daughter gets really into takes real effort, but the payoff is a wide eyed smile as she explains it, tells a story about it, and my brain just sits back in wonder at how amazing her imagination is.
I would love to see through the eyes of a three year old again directly, but for now, I’ll have to make do with my daughter’s perception. :)
Sydney, My goal is to encourage people to exercise the muscle of amazement. Slow down - see - It is a world filled with awe, and we let it go by unnoticed. Cut from the same clothe, D
"A person who is curious, and then amazed, becomes a person who cares. A person who cares, connects. A person who connects, cultivates."
This is so simple and so important. Indeed a prescription for the betterment of the world. I enjoyed reading this essay a lot, Sydney :) Looking forward to more!
What a beautiful post, thank you, Sydney. Nature truly is amazing in a myriad of wonderful ways! ! I was introduced to you Don Boivin and delighted to have found you. Thank you, Don, I hope you both have a lovely day.
I'm so glad I found this ode to the love of nature. I am so sorry for your old friend who could not find it in her soul to respond to a cardinal. But your lovely tribute must have inspired a few "Ahh" moments among your readers.
I love the expression "prone to amazement"! I became prone to amazement as a result of spending a year of taking and posting photos ages ago now, but it made me really *notice* things and l've never stopped noticing and being excited by what l find. Ooh! Intricate seed pod! Oooh! Tiny mushroom! OMG! Wombat poo! 😄 (l'm Australian). Life is so much rewarding this way.
This is one of my favorite things I've ever read! Your amazement oozes through my screen and I love it! 😊❤️
So uplifting, Sydney! I learned something new today— amazement is a muscle. Thank you! Last week, I noticed during my walk that the cherry blossom trees around the corner were starting to bloom. I stopped and stared in amazement. Six days later, we drove by and the blossoming had accelerated— amazing!! I can’t wait to see their progress and witness their full bloom. Just wanted to share that with you!
I consider curiosity as a vital personality trait...Being curious about the things around you, about the people you interact with, about other cultures, about yourself, about nature. You never run out of things to think, or do or talk about, or question and listen to if you are curious and have a sense of wonder.
Just fantastic, what an uplifting read (apart from the Red Cardinal story, though there’s hope there too). Thank you.
Beautiful hummingbird photo! And I love the Cardinal story. This past weekend we were amazed by watching Ruddy Ducks bobbing on the lake, storm clouds closing in, and a sleepy toad peeking out from its burrow.
Lovely. I was amazed by all the different shapes, colours, textures of moss, lichens, and fungal spots growing all over our apple trees branches and trunk today. I've seen it before but today it just seemed to grab my attention, dripping with tiny globes of water on a drizzly, foggy day.
A shimmer! Oh my goodness. I LOVE THAT. I'm coming out of my own cotton-packed time, so this post is quite meaningful as I get back into my writing. Thank you.
What a wonderful post. Thank you.
Such a lovely post. Amazement is such a joyful state, and one that too few of us inhabit often enough.