Ducks in a Row: Mindful Living
by Miki Saxon
I really enjoy the oddball columns in the New York Times, especially considering how depressing the news is these day.
There is a feature called Metropolitan Diary where people write short accounts of things that happen to them in their everyday life in the city.
A few days ago John Cunningham wrote about seeing celebrities daily during his lunch time.
His co-workers didn’t believe him, because they didn’t see any.
One day Tracey joined him to see if it was true. They walked to the corner and he asked if she had seen any yet.
She said no.
So he asked the guy standing next to her if he could shake his hand.
It was Henry Winkler.
Tracey didn’t see him, because she wasn’t paying attention — not mindful in today’s lingo.
I had a habit of looking into the face of every person who walked by me or stood next to me on the street, something that maybe most people did not do.
All this happened in 1988.
Before smartphones, before iPods, before all the distractions of our digital age.
I hope you remember this the next time you find yourself staring at your phone, instead of noticing the world through which you are moving.
Who knows who you might see or what adventures await you if you only notice.
Image credit: Skinny Casual Lover
