A musing...

[sleigh]

Since Denise and I put up the bird feeder in the back yard, and since I’ve been taking pictures of our visitors there, I’ve realized that in the past I never truly *saw* birds. I don’t mean that they were invisible to me, but with the exception of a few distinctive species (cardinals, robins, and goldfinches, for example), I would see only a generic 'bird.' Now that I’ve been actually watching the birds coming to the feeder, I’m realizing how much I’ve missed: all the species, the subtle markings, the gender differentiations, the seasonal variations, the different calls, the distinctive behaviors and traits. When I see birds now, I see them differently. More individually. I can identify some species just from a glimpse. I deliberately observe them to see their differences.

Which makes me wonder: to what other aspects of the world around me have I been similarly blind? Where else have I simply not been paying attention, and thus missing too much?

Something to ponder.

Comments

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

We miss a ton. People who work as electricians notice the different types of outlets and lighting in a room. People who work with the gas company know what those arcane symbols written on sidewalks mean. Botanists notice details of petals and leaves that escape most of us. Geologists see a metamorphic schist where I'd see a rock.

Isn't it cool how our human interest in learning and exploring the world leads to this refinement of perception? None of us can know it all, but two heads are better than one and a think tank is better still.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Everything, basically. We all miss everything.

K.