Facets of the Forest

Paris traffic

I am intrigued by drones, The ability to display an expansive perspective captures my attention. Add to this my fear of heights and drones become tools which do not increase my heart rate.The current mini-drones at their reasonable price could move me from intrigue to ownership.

The adage, "you cannot see the forest for the trees" carries great wisdom. Sometimes going down the rabbit hole of details distracts from envisioning a broader perspective. Setting a course and plotting directions for the future are difficult without a bird's eye view. Or as the late educator and author, Stephen R Covey, warned, "Do not get caught in the thick of thin things."

All of this is intriguing and valid. I have been asking myself for some time if I am where I

Looking at the trail

want to be. Has my career, have the decades of my life, have my interests directed my initial strategy to the desired destination? Have I been making significant and at times rapid progress, but discovered I am not where I wanted to go?

Gravel road bed

Surprising to me (or maybe not), I have become enchanted with that which is smaller. The blossoms on flowers, the structure of the shell on bugs, the cracks in the road bed, and the flow of rivulets of water capture my attention. Not only is there beauty, but there is a complexity and an awesomeness in the details of these oft overlooked aspects of life. Yet my interest should not surprise me as I have cherished hearing about the lives of people. Getting beyond the broad generalities of occupation, place of birth, and current residence are the pivotal differentiations of joy, surprise, struggle, and death which hold profound meaning. There are deep and complex definitions within the daily experiences of people that are often overlooked for speed and convenience. In so doing, I believe stereotypes and diagnoses are reinforced in ways that are not beneficial. 

In the recent spate of death and destruction attributed to violence using firearms, some are eager to look at the bigger picture. The vast concepts of mental health, gun control, law enforcement, and armed guards get tossed about as solutions to our country's epidemic. While finding a solution is admirable it is not so easy. Every victim, every perpetrator, every family member, and every community should not and cannot be 

neglected for the bigger picture. Big picture perspectives are quick, clean, and painless. However, each individual is unique. Each individual has deep and weeping wounds. Healing comes at a variety of paces. In many instances focusing on the bigger picture perpetuates the seething and turmoil which seem to be a common factor in these all too frequent acts of violence. The trees cannot be neglected nor categorized in order to make general, sweeping statements about the forest. 

I will continue to be fascinated by drones. Yet at this time, I want to give my attention to the smaller and equally beautiful aspects of what is at eye level. Those people and situations which make up the beauty, complexity, and diversity of life are easy to neglect from thousands of feet above. Also, without the need to understand and place into practice new technology my heart rate and blood pressure will remain stable, I do not need the added frustration of learning to use a drone. There are plenty of facets of life which will keep me enraptured for years to come. 

Forest diversity at eye level