Life at No.22, Snapshots of Tauranga

Snapshots of Tauranga #34

Suzanne

Recently, halfway along a track dampened by winter, and within a small patch of bush, I noticed a beam of eerie light on a laden native totara tree that had fallen long ago.

I could have easily walked past, though I didn’t this time. As I acknowledged to myself that I needed to nurture my sense of wonder and to feel more grounded within my surroundings, as on most days, my life seemed too complicated, too surreal.

I stopped, sat down, and watched. Waiting for what? I wasn’t sure.

On that totara, various lifeforms clung, puffing vapour into the chilly air, catching the low sunlight and creating a rainbow of colours. Sunlight filtered through the different trees and shrubs, and a fantail flitted about, while an unidentified bird sang a melodic note. It felt as if nature was revealing one of its mysteries, transforming a simple moment into something magical.

I was grateful I stopped; how many wonders have I missed for not taking the time to look?

Though I’ve admired many of nature’s grand scenes before, this experience within this small patch of bush felt just as euphoric, and perhaps I was looking for what I most needed that day—a mood boost. I’ve begun to believe that wonder can change the way we view the world. In a time filled with challenges more humungous than ours, such as the climate, humanity and war, what if cultivating a sense of awe in nature is the first step toward making a difference? If we can learn to love the world again, we might be able to protect what remains.

Even in suburban walking tracks, a garden, or along the tideline, and within rockpools, magic exists; the key is in noticing. As Henry David Thoreau said, “The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”

To embrace wonder, step outside and take a moment to appreciate the small wonders around you. I sat on that log for a good ten minutes, watching the sunlight dance around that fallen tree and beyond.

Eventually, a curious fantail hopped close, as if to say, “Isn’t this cool?”

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Published by Suzanne

I'm a lover of creativity and movement, expressed through photography, words, travel and sports. . . . . . .

32 thoughts on “Snapshots of Tauranga #34”

  2. So many things we miss just not paying attention. Glad you had time for wonder in your day. If only everyone took the time…

    I’ve walked my rural road for 27 years and whenever I go looking for plants I don’t know, I still find them!

    Today I happened to look out the window in time to see a “hatch” of winged ants from a sugar ant colony that lives at the base of our outside stairs. Two fat lizards were gobbling the ones that couldn’t figure out what to do with those huge sails on their backs. Soon it was as if it never happened. A skinny lizard came by, looking around as if to say “Did I miss the feast?”

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    1. I’m glad that the longer version reply didn’t get lost, as it made me smile imagining a skinny lizard saying that. Ants are not the most wanted of creatures near your home, though they’re fascinating to watch. Additionally, the amount they can carry. Currently, I’m retracing many of the same trails, and I always seem to find something new. I am fortunate to be able to walk long distances.

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  5. A very true message. I keep telling myself to “Be There” – soak up what is happening NOW rather than glancing at it while wondering how the traffic will be on the drive home, or any other future considerations.

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  11. I really like your thinking here – ‘what if cultivating a sense of awe in nature is the first step toward making a difference?’ Yes, what if …? The quote from Thoreau is very apposite too, thank you for that.

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    1. Janis, you are correct that having a camera sharpens our focus on our surroundings. I have so many, perhaps too many, photos of our local surroundings that I’m trying to be in the moment.

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