What we think of our world depends on how we look at and interact with it.
We’ve chosen to move more slowly by living and working afloat and we know that has allowed us, in fact given us the priviledge, of seeing things differently. It’s possible to see more of the world unfolding in front of you if you travel slowly. You can see the heron waiting for his early evening snack, watch him patiently scanning the water’s edge, and then make his move, snapping up a little wriggling frog and gulping it down. If you were driving past you’d have missed that moment – just as I missed it with the camera because I was too busy watching!
But this week we’ve not moved by boat, remaining moored up on the outskirts of Skipton, one of the most delightful and picturesque towns in North Yorkshire.
This week we’ve explored mainly on foot and at a very different pace as demanded by shorter legs.
I realised how much I have missed through familiarity, through thinking I’ve already seen something before, that it doesn’t merit a second glance. It is the little things which make up the rich patchwork of moments in our lives, and taking time to look and re-look adds texture and colour to those moments.
We’ve been fortunate this week to share life on the boat through the eyes of a 3 year old. Seen through new eyes, there is a new world all around us. Marcel Proust was right when he said in his epic novel À la recherche du temps perdu (In search of lost time)”The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
We’ve become used to the daily cheeping and tapping of swan visitors at the side of the boat as they nibble off weed and enjoy an easy found meal. Until this week though we haven’t spent as long as we might in watching the down covered fluffy cygnets learning how to feed, how to ‘upend’ to get weed. We realise from careful, continued observation that they are holding their breath underwater for longer and longer every day. They love dried mealworms which give them a good source of energy, and when these sink they upend rapidly to snap them up. The watchful parents stay near the young now but hold back, letting the youngsters feed first.
Everything needs a good look. The huge butterbur leaves now burgeoning along the canals hold unexpected surprises which to be honest, I could have easily missed had I walked briskly past.
The wonder of a snail in its shell – a riot of colours, pattern and shapes. The trail of the snail, the path of the slug, the wiggle of a worm were things I saw and appreciated this week rather than being things I would have passed by.
The perseverance of a woodlouse struggling to squeeze from the narrowed end of a crack on the wheel of the tractor in this wooden play equipment absorbed us both for a full 7 minutes. We watched him (I was assured it was apparently a he) as he brought determination, trial and error and continued effort to his struggles. Finally he succeeded, freeing himself and going on his way by shuffling backwards proving that sometimes retracing your steps is the answer to achieving your goals.
Sometimes lessons like these are ones we have all learned but perhaps forgotten. Reminders and nudges to remember are always valuable. I’d completely forgotten the fascination of finding things hidden in walls that lead us to old ways, old lives and reflections on how people used to live.
It’s not just sight but all the sense which we need to engage to make the most of our world. We miss out on so much if we don’t stop and smell, touch and feel.
The delights of taste and texture demand to be appreciated too. The sheer joy and total bliss of a savoured ice cream or two …on a hot day. The rush of sweetness and coldness combining in a unique experience.
The resulting sense of indulgence and self care is immense. There are times we all need those.
It’s been good to have a reminder that even slowing down can mean we still miss things if we are not paying attention. Without looking up and looking carefully – we’d have missed this tawny owl, or to be correct we’d have missed seeing the bum of a sleeping tawny owl!
On the scale of things, the owl’s rear end was a highlight of the week! It overshadowed the artwork, creation and celebration of individual interpretation that is evident in these massive works of Damien Hirst at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. His Virgin Mary (on the left) was matter-of-factory reduced to “Look she’s got a baby in her tummy and you can see it’s going to come out like a zombie.” I wonder what the artist would say to that review! On the other hand, Charity – whose collection box has been ransacked by a crowbar-yielding thief – resulted in an urgent plea for us to do something to help. I like to think that’s just the response Hirst was trying to elicit from his audience.
From enjoying the art of nature to experiencing the creations of man, we can all miss out if we go too fast, don’t take time to stop, question and research what we don’t know. We need to ask WHY? and take time to find the answer. We should never be afraid to ask Why or sneer at those who do.
New knowledge and new perspectives can bring totally new life to old familiar sights. It’s a great reminder that if we are open to learn a new world will open up that’s richer and more interesting. If we change the way we look at things, work and life are the same. We miss out if we assume or underestimate our colleagues, students, family members.
As we all hurtle back to hustle, bustle and business of old lives, it’s important we look at the ways we live and work with the new eyes and questioning approach which the pandemic has given us the chance to develop, to make sure we don’t miss out on the detail, and the richness around us.
I am so grateful to have had the chance this week to experience life differently. I need to keep looking, listening, feeling, tasting and touching differently as we continue on our slow way to see the world in all its breathtaking glory. Using all our senses learning can be child’s play. Considering research shows children learn more in their early years than at any other time in their lives, there’s hope for us all, if we follow their example.
Pickingupducks 