This time of year I often lament the short day length, wishing for the long days of summer. But lately I’ve been enjoying the early sunsets because I take the time to sit and soak in their beauty. Even on a cloudy day there are sometimes glimmers of sunlight that come through to brighten my
Twilight Reveries
and fill the late afternoon sky with colorful light. I never tire of reflecting on the beauty and subtle colors of this brief golden time of day. Appreciating beauty and finding beauty, feeling wonder and gratitude, these are the things that make the winter months bearable for me. No matter what else a day may bring I look for beauty and seek opportunities to feel wonder and gratitude.
I’ve been listening to more music lately too and wondering why I hadn’t been doing so all along. Beautiful music is another source of beauty, wonder, and joy for me.
What are your antidotes to despair or the ways that you brighten your winter days?
Wonder is the heaviest element on the periodic table. Even a tiny fleck of it stops time.
— Diane Ackerman
Something New
Earlier this week I bought myself a pair of iPod Pro2 earbuds. I’ve been feeling like something of a Luddite with regards to many of the new technologies that are emerging despite the fact that I worked as a software engineer for much of my life. Part of my reluctance to embrace new technologies came from having to keep learning the latest new thing in software when I was working. There was never time to rest on what I knew because new technologies were always emerging. And another part of my reluctance to embrace new technology is my striving to live a simple less materialistic life.
For a long time I’ve used wired headphones with my phone and computer. But my wired headphones were beginning to fall apart and I recently read about using iPod Pro2 earbuds as hearing aids for mild hearing loss and I was intrigued. Perhaps I could try them out. So on cyber Monday I found a great deal on them and bought a pair.
Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.
― Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation
How Easy Can This Be?
Initially I thought that I would have a big learning curve using them. But it was surprisingly easy. And I am still blown away by the technology in these little gems. The first time I used them while watching a video on my laptop computer. I decided to remove one of the earbuds (just to make sure that the sound was only coming through the earbuds) and was amazed to see that when I did so the video that was playing on my computer paused. I was so surprised that I replaced the earbud, restarted the video and then removed the earbud again. Sure enough the video paused. I had to laugh at myself for being so amazed.
Then I took the hearing test guided by a few simple prompts on my phone. And I began using the earbuds as hearing aids. Wow! I could hear things in the house that I hadn’t been hearing for some time. It turns out that our very quiet dishwasher isn’t really as quiet as I thought. And airplane and traffic noise at certain times of day is also louder than I thought. Last night when Jon and I were both in the living room, with me watching a video on my computer and he watching television, I was able to turn on noise canceling to completely block out the television sounds.
This little experiment has reminded me that I’m never too old to learn something new. And that like it or not technology keeps changing (I refuse to say ‘advancing’ because that is not always the case). There have been times when I’ve said to myself, “I’m getting older. I don’t have to learn this new stuff.” I’m hoping to stop saying that to myself and be more open to evaluating and embracing life-enhancing technology.
To be wise is to be eternally curious.
―
What stories are you telling yourself about your age, your life, and technology?
May you walk in beauty.
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