Taking The Time To See

I have to admit I worry about making a mess of it or regretting my choice of subject matter later on.

But funny thing…..I never do either.

On Monday I started a new sketchbook.  I sat outside a coffee shop surrounded by leathery old men smoking stale cigarettes and a couple of delightful old friends sharing coffee for the first time in fifteen years.

About twenty feet away, past the chatter and the laughter, were two simple trees clinging to the sparse patch of dirt they were rooted in.

Something magical happens when you sketch from life.

Time slows down and your senses begin to heighten.

What might have only been background noise if I was just sitting there sipping a chai tea latte and scrolling through my emails, suddenly becomes a symphony when my pen is in hand sketching.

The screeching sound of bus breaks.
A rattling muffler.
Classic rock leaking from a car window.
Ladies laughing in unison.
Two crows hashing it out from a telephone wire.
An old man coughing repeatedly.

It all feels so perfect.
So intentional.

And I can only sit here and wonder.

How much of Life have I’ve missed
by not taking the time to see and hear
the world that’s only waiting for my attention–
that constantly wishes to support me.