How did you get here?

I met Darrius on the plane a couple of Sundays ago. It was one of those moments where you're trying to decide, "Am I going to talk to this person? Should I just go to sleep? What if they talk my ear off about a really boring subject?" I chose to talk. Little did I know, I was choosing to be surprised.

We had a great conversation about religion and life philosophy and marriage and learning and realizations and kids and who we wanted to be and how we are.

And then Darrius stopped me in my tracks. He asked, "How did you get here? How did you get to the point where you believe the things you do? Did you read a book? Where do these things come from?" I didn't know the answer. I still don't know the answer. I'd like to know the answer. The only thing that I've come up with is people, moments, thinking, books, reflection, learning, feeling and guessing. Seems like I should have more details. There should be vivid pivotal moments that made me me. I'll have to keep pondering - maybe I'll ask for help from the people that were the witnesses.

But it's a question for all of us.......how did you get here?

Static: characterized by a lack of movement, animation, or progression

Have you ever found that when you look at things closely enough, the things that you thought were static are not really static at all?

The building across the street made me realize that. I thought it was just a building..........sitting there. BUT as the days passed and the time of day changed and the weather changed, I noticed the building changed. In the sun, it's bright white with reflection. In a rainstorm, it turns putty gray. In the morning, the doors open to do business. In the evening they close.

It made me wonder what other things are changing that I might be missing and not appreciating because I wasn't paying close enough attention. Me? Am I changing in ways I'm not realizing? Others? Are they changing in ways I'm not acknowledging? That building is further proof that there's value in tuning in......there are things you see that you would have passed right by.

Just a path........

I walked this path before.

In the crisp in-between of fall.
In the cold winter moonlight.
In the hints that are spring.
And now, in the fullness of summer.

The darling chirp steals my attention from the whisper of my steps through the grass.
Takes me to the vision of deer running in the night.
And the choosing of fresh blossoms, yellow and white.

Same place. Different time. Different me.