“Don’t
hurry. Don’t worry. You’re only here for a short visit. So don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.” Walter Hagen
No Time
When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses? I know, that sounds so cliché but honestly
when was the last time you stopped to watch a honeybee land on a flower or
watch a sunrise or enjoy a sunset? Most
of us are so caught up in our daily to do list that we miss the little things
in life that bring meaning and much joy.
How many times have you experienced or heard from others
about a business trip that consisted of flying in, going to the meeting, having
dinner, sleeping at the airport hotel and flying out the next day? What’s so special about that? Absolutely nothing is special about
that. We all get caught up in daily
errands, housework, work obligations, our children’s sports and school
activities and most often overlook the little things in life that are right in
front of us.
We get worried about missing a cellphone call, a text
message, the latest Facebook post to such a degree and all caught up in making
sure every part of the big picture is taken care of that we miss the little
things that can transport us out of the daily norm.
The Paths We Take
Over the last thirty
six years I have done much traveling for both work and pleasure. In the past, I often fell into the trap of
super highways, franchise food, airport hotels and fly in fly out
meetings. However, over the past fifteen
years I have made it a point that whenever possible I would enjoy the little
things along the way. Last week on a
speaking trip to Coeur d’Alene Idaho it was no different – I enjoyed the little
things along the way. Instead of flying
directly into Coeur D’Alene my wife and I flew into Seattle Washington, rented
a car and drove the rest of the way to the event. I am so glad we did. On our journey we enjoyed many of the little
things others would normally miss.
The Stops We Make
We started our trip with breakfast at a small family owned
restaurant outside of Seattle named Pancake Chef. Besides the great food we were
served the genuine friendliness of the people working there was something you
rarely experience these days.
Our next stop was at Espresso Chalet on Highway 2 traveling through
the Southern Cascade Mountains. When
ordering our coffee I asked the lady helping us if she wanted to trade jobs –
we talked for a good twenty minutes. They
have the best coffee and candy they call coffee beans which is a chocolate
covered coffee bean that is out of this world.
One of the highlights
of our trip was a home cooked meal with friends Sheila, Mary and Sheila’s
grandparents. In my life I had never met
a true master craftsman of anything – not until this meal when I met Sheila’s
grandpa Roger. He carves birds which
when he is finished are so life like that at first I thought they were
taxidermy specimens. His work has earned
him many awards. My wife and I met a
true master artisan whose work took our breath away.
After speaking we had dinner with new friends we made during
the event, Connie and David. We spent
several hours over dinner at a quaint little Coeur d’Alene local
restaurant. We talked, enjoyed good food
and enjoyed each other’s company. Most
importantly we laughed a great deal together about life.
On our way back we
took Highway 20 also known as the Northern Cascade Highway which for me is one
of the most spectacular roads I have ever been on. Our last night was spent in Winthrop
Washington at a small hotel named Hotel Rio Vista. Our stay at Hotel Rio Vista and the ride back
to Seattle on Highway 20 was another highlight of our trip. Words cannot describe the stunning beauty we witnessed on our ride back.
The point I left out is that we could have taken Interstate
90 from Seattle to Coeur d’Alene, stayed at franchise hotels and ate franchise
food. Instead we stepped out of the
norm. It’s scary stepping away from the
norm but is worth it in so many ways.
When you set your focus to the here and now and not to what is on your
to do list you will start to see the little things you are missing. When you start to see the little things in
life you will begin to find that the simplest of things can be regarded as
marvels which become cherished memories.
Put down the cellphone, step away from the normal routine and start
looking for those little treasures waiting to be discovered.
1 comment:
I am glad you stopped to smell the roses. Your description of your trip is awesome. I felt like I was on the trip.
Unfortunately too often people forget the great wonders that God has made and they are in our own country.
I hope this recent trip has made you understand that you need to slow down and make shorter "to do lists".
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