Where have all the good things gone?

I was reading over a post from a game friend on FB. She was waking as I was getting ready to go to sleep. She was wondering what the day would bring while I was wondering if my soon-to-be-two-year-old would actually let me get some sleep. She made me think about all the hours I spend at the computer, and reminded me of a post another game-friend had put up the day before.

That post was one of those clichéd attempts at a joke. It warned of the ‘worst FaceBook virus yet’. Apparently this one was the ASTC (A*s-Stuck-to-Chair) virus, where victims are so absorbed in their FB activities that their children starve, their house grows untidy and falls apart with neglect, and their pets become dangerously obese from never being walked. You know the sort of post I mean.

Anyway, it got me thinking about all the time I spend in front of a computer screen, whether it’s playing games, writing, or reading what others have written, and I wondered how many good things there were in a day that I just didn’t see. Kind of like missing the surprise package on your front step because you never leave the house, these things can form a bright spot in your day. They are often small, though, and easy to miss.

I’m talking about things like:

Ø  The bluebell hidden amongst the weeds in your garden;

Ø  The warmth of the sun on your back;

Ø  The smell of plum, apricot and cherry blossoms in the spring air;

Ø  The swirl of fallen petals on the spring breeze;

Ø  A neighbour’s greeting;

Ø  Your daughter’s laughter as she plays in the grass or waves at a passing bird;

Ø  Lorikeets in the trees on your fenceline, sulphur-crested cockatoos and galahs flying circuses overhead, wrens taking secretive delight in your backyard;

Ø  The first smell of rain;

Ø  The first rising draft of a storm front; and

Ø  Moon-rise in the middle of the afternoon.

That’s all very nice, as long as you don’t have spring allergies, or if you live somewhere with apricot trees and Australian parrots, I hear you say, but every place and person is different and hidden treasures abound. I’m sure you can all think of similar things that brighten your day, things that aren’t necessarily outdoors, but which also are not attached to your screen.

You need those to help re-charge your batteries. Take a bit of time out to go find them.