I live in a tiny town where the post office closes before I finish work for the day, the nearby grocery store is a step above a gas station convenience store, and the closest bank is a twenty minute drive. So while I thoroughly enjoy living this close to the mountains, the aspects of me that are still used to the 24-hour convenience and wide-ranging options of NYC feel tense and all bunched up whenever I have a brief break in my day that ends up being used to run errands two towns away (better selection, better hours).
Recently I was on a roll with knocking each errand off my list and just as I was about to drive from one end of town to the other for my lasssst errand, I looked to my right (the opposite direction I needed to go in) and caught a glimpse of a stunning sunset. The desire to get everything done and not have to get up extra early the next morning and drive twenty-five minutes each way to finish that last errand was strong.....then again, there was the sunset calling me. I looked at my friend seated next to me (who also had time-sensitive errands to finish); we both knew that in the scheme of life it can seem like an inconsequential decision either way.....
and yet the choice we made is one that continues to shape and enliven my life
(from the photos below, you know which we chose!)***
“And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, “This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!” And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart and say, “No. This is what’s important.”
― Iain Thomas
photos: me. january 2018.
***There were other people who made a similar decision as we did that day. Several cars pulled onto the same side road, the drivers getting out of their cars and watching the expanse of bright, textured, shifting sky. As you can imagine, these pictures barely capture the immensity and brilliance all around us. Hand to heart. Heart to sky.