It’s a matter of odometers and jack rabbits.
I’m afraid that the statement above in many ways characterizes the core difference between my wife and me. Within two miles of our house is the Aurora Reservoir. It provides a perfect eight mile paved loop on which we have ridden our bikes many miles.
The nicely constructed pathway creates a great environment for us to enjoy some exercise, and whatever else captures our senses.
As I confessed in the opening sentence, I am primarily focused on the statistical performance around the loop. That’s why my perfectly positioned odometer provides me with just the right kind of feedback and information. Miles covered, maximum speed obtained, elapsed time and average speed are just a few of the useful pieces of data that can be discovered with an effortless glance.
While Mary has an odometer on her bike, she rarely refers to it. Instead she consciously pans the horizon looking for any and all signs of animal life. Of particular interest to her are the fabulous jack rabbit sightings that are very infrequent, but fascinating when accomplished. Don’t misunderstand, Mary is not a wildlife snob. She’s delighted with a random deer, a slithering snake, or an unusual bird.
Mary doesn’t miss much when we ride… except her average speed and the miles she’s covered. And me, well I miss nearly everything but my speed, distance and average.
I’ve come to realize that this tendency creates a blind spot through which life drains. It is robbery at an experiential level that must be a part of what happened when we were escorted out of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3.
Frankly, it’s like being ushered to a fantastic seat at an extraordinary play, only to spend the entire evening gazing at your watch. You certainly know how long each act and scenetook, but you miss the power, emotion and drama that the author intended and the actors delivered.
And He said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ~ Luke 12:22-25
…consider the ravens indeed. They neither check their average speed, nor monitor their elapsed time.
I’m working toward enjoying life, one jack rabbit at a time.
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