I was at the cafe today.
The only one I’ll go to in this area.
It’s a super secret spot in Southern Oregon.
I challenged myself to pay attention to my senses for 10 minutes.
What did I hear?
What did I see?
What did I notice?
What did I taste?
What did I feel?
Here’s what I noticed.
- Customer chatter.
- The sound of a plastic salad container opening next to me.
- The dramatic head nod of a man as he converses with a woman just outside the window.
- The tapping of Katy’s shoes as she walked to the door and says goodbye.
- Big hooped earrings all around.
- A truck engine roars.
- “One of these Nights” plays on the radio.
- A latte on the bar followed by the barista shouting,“Latte on the Bar”.
- “Bye bye”, the end of a phone conversation.
- The door squeaks open and now the door squeaks closed.
- The espresso machine steam wand purges.
- Yellow chairs for outdoor seating.
- The squeaky door again.
- A sneeze into a shirt. That was me.
- A bright orange Jeep Wrangler drives by as cars pull away from the cafe.
- The plants in the cafe look so green and welcoming.
- Heartburn in my chest from the spicy pork and goat cheese croissant I consumed.
- Steam rising from the espresso machine.
- A sense of joy in me.
- Headphones and a book.
- Two bright chandeliers.
- A gentleman with a beard looks at me, removes his jacket, then puts it back on.
- Dude rolls by on a bike.
- Old green Chevy truck.
- The sky is gray
- Cups on the espresso machine: burnt yellow, clear, soft green, dark brown, and blue.
- Laughter.
- My lower back has minor pain.
- The bearded gentleman leaves, the door squeaks, and he walks past the window.
- He had a GOOD BEARD.
At any MOMENT in your day to day experience there are quite a lot of things happening.
The challenge is to pay attention, to notice, to be present and aware to what is happening in you and around you.
Paying attention to the moments of your day isn’t necessarily glamorous. It is, however, what is happening in your life. It is reality. It is.
What do you notice today?
Photo Credit: Unknown