As a general rule, I think we tend to take things for granted. We go through each day, utilizing incredibly advanced technologies, interacting with amazingly unique people, and experiencing wondrously special events, and we do it in a ho-hum sort of way, like a cow flicking a fly off its butt with its tail.

The cow doesn’t stop and marvel at the fact that there are nerve endings in its posterior relaying information to its brain, ALMOST INSTANTANEOUSLY, that an insect is probing its derriere (or, more fittingly, “dairy-ere”). It doesn’t give a passing thought to the complicated, perfectly orchestrated, muscle and bone interactions that take place to pull off that particular “swish-swish” of its rump’s appendage.

Truth be told, if you were to ask the cow, it probably WOULDN’T EVEN REALIZE THAT IT HAD MOVED ITS TAIL.

Nope. It would just sit there chewing its cud, feeling bad for itself, because all the little girls ask for ponies for Christmas instead of heifers. (Don’t even get that cow STARTED on what it thinks of unicorns!)

If we’re not careful, we could end up going through life like that oblivious bovine. Missing out on all the things that we CAN experience, and CAN be a part of, and CAN be thankful for, because we are too busy dwelling on our self-assumed “lowly lot in life” to pick up our head and consider the significance of our existence, and the unique part that we get to play in this elaborate pageant called “Life.”

I think it’s time we took a stand against apathetic appreciation of the “common” things in our lives. Change is difficult, and forming new habits is hard, but I think the effort will be worth it in the end. Think of the cultural change that could be wrought if we began to focus our attention on all the mini-miracles and the regular blessings we are privileged to experience each day!

Will you stand with me in resolving not to waste an opportunity to wonder at our ability to engage with the people and the world around us?

I, for one, am taking a baby-step towards that goal and pledging to take a moment out of each day, pull Rochelle aside, and tell her sincerely, “Rochelle, you are so lucky to have me in your life.” (Upon reading which, she will, I expect, call me conceited, and liken me to a cow’s butt, and thus entirely miss the point of this post.)*

*Fun fact for you while we’re on the subject of this post: If you can believe it, this actually started out being about how we need new batteries for our solar system, but then it kind of got away from me and turned into something different. Soooo, if you could just do me a favor and head on over to that next post, that would be helpful…