Journal Entry #5

While walking my roommates’ dog this morning, I had a bit of a revelation within myself.  Miller, the dog pictured in this post, always sprinted ahead of me, looking around every corner, sniffing every tree, her head consistently on a swivel. I began to realize that I almost felt a sense of jealousy for her natural inquisitiveness and exploration. The lack of routine and time that she experiences on a day to day basis, simply living as the day goes, was honestly a tempting concept to me. I feel as though I often forget the fundamental necessity of natural curiosity. Her excitement to go outside, to run, to play, was a refreshing retreat from my structured schedule and mental rigidness. Along with Miller, I too began to observe my surroundings and invoke a greater sense of wonder about my current setting. Instead of having a chore mentality associated with my current activity, I began to think of it as a time of pure observation and challenged myself to shift my thinking by marveling at the simplest things. For example, a squirrel hurled its body out of the way of an approaching vehicle and missed death by a mere few seconds. Normally, I would not have flinched at the event, however in my time of reflection I began to think on the speed of the squirrel. The agility and speed it was so carefully designed to have, along with its quick adaption to its surroundings.