Bee Present

There’s so much that goes on in the natural world around us, even directly beneath our feet. In this photo on a prairie pothole just outside of Ames, numerous plant and animal species inhabit a tiny space. What do you see that you can identify? Look at the end of the short column for the answer. Photo by Todd Burras

We don’t see because we don’t look.

We don’t look because we don’t slow down.

We don’t slow down because we’re in too big a hurry to get on to the next thing.

Most of the time we don’t see the trees for the forest. One wonders if we even see the forest much of the time.

Maybe we should heed the wisdom in one of the lyrics of the old Simon and Garfunkel song “The 59th Street Bridge Song,” otherwise known as “Feelin’ Groovy.” “Slow down, you move too fast. You’ve got to make the morning last.”

Instead of “morning,” I’d interject “moment.” We’ve got to make the moment last.

Slow down. Look. Listen. Ask questions. Seek out answers. Be present. Be alert. Be all in.

It’s the only way we can begin to see and appreciate the trees for the forest, and everything else that’s beautiful in the world around us.

— Todd Burras

Pictured above: American toad, honey bee, creeping charlie, white clover, Kentucky bluegrass, dandelion. There could be others.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *