Walking Down Stairs
Before I walk down stairs in my home, or anywhere else, I stop for a moment, grip the railing, and focus my attention. In contrast, when I watch a TV show, I usually do something else at the same time, such as read a book.
Why the difference?
The difference is that a TV show doesn’t really matter, and if it does I can rewind and watch a replay. But if I fall down the stairs, there is no redo. A broken bone is a broken bone. So when I walk down stairs, or drive, or cross a busy street, I always pay strict attention.
Years ago I was walking down stairs at a friend’s house. Even though I was holding onto the railing, I tripped about six steps from the bottom. Instinctively I grabbed the railing with both hands. Unfortunately, the part of the handrail that I grabbed was intended for decoration, and it wasn’t firmly attached. I clung to it even as my body hit the bricks at the bottom of the stairs. Ouch! I screamed, and everyone in the house came running. I wasn’t badly hurt, though I suffered a deep bruise that took months to heal.
Luckily I have strong bones, or so my PE teacher in middle school told me when I was hit squarely on the ankle by an errant baseball bat.
Hanging out at home for the past month and a half, I’ve been paying attention to something else. I like to gaze out at the beautiful garden in back while I watch the news on TV in the family room. I’ve been noticing the trees, the ivy, and the many different hues of green.
I discovered a scrubby lemon tree even though it must have been there for years. It has more lemons than the large, now barren, lemon tree I usually poach for lemons to flavor my salmon salad (salmon, mayo, hard boiled eggs, and lemon juice).
The trumpet tree with long yellow flowers dangling from its branches has now fully bloomed, seemingly before my eyes. Last week it was green. Today it’s laden with bright yellow flowers.
I also pay closer attention to what is around me when I take walks in the neighborhood, something Daveen and I try to do each day. Tonight I finished most of my 4,000 daily steps by pacing in my home, while gazing outside. Observing the outdoors made walking inside more fun than just going through the motions.
I feel a closer kinship with the garden, having carefully observed it every afternoon since the middle of March. I also better appreciate the tall trees in front of the house, where now a few curled brown leaves remain, to be gradually replaced by tender green leaves of Spring.
I always wonder how I can squeeze the most from my life.
Paying attention helps.
Alan