Dunedin, New Zealand, my city - my people

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Enjoy the moment....

"dad-who-walk's" comment made me think of an incident that happened on one of my Mount Cargill walks. I was going up the shorter Organ-pipe track. The sun was shining through the fog drifting through the bush. You could see the rays, the variety of colours, it made the bush seem even more alive. I had had a fantail (little NZ bird with a fan-like tail) leading me up the track. I am never sure why they do this, but sometimes a fantail will jump off from a branch you are passing and fly a few paces ahead. They will watch you until you get closer, then jump ahead again. They will do this for some distance even around bends in the track. It feels like they want to keep you company, but it may be just protecting a nearby nest? But its a cute experience... I find myself talking to them. (which is a bit embarrassing if someone comes around the corner toward you! )

Anyway this particular morning all these things were happening and I was enjoying the experience. On a board walk part of the track I came across a disgruntled American tourist walking back down. She said, "It's no good going up there! You can't see a thing from the top! It's in the clouds." I passed some comment like "bad luck".... but if I had thought quickly enough I wanted to say, "Stop and look around you! Just the journey is worth it!" I have often thought of that. We keep wanting to reach some point in life when we are "happy", when we "have got it all" or have "got it together". I think life's a journey and while we may have our dreams for the future, its good and important to enjoy, taste and experience the moment, the present.

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