Benched Week 75: listen up

Two years ago, this blog started in this park.  Back then, I said I couldn’t see the river for the trees, both literally and metaphorically.  Today, the park was quite different.  Brush was cleared away, giving me a panoramic view of the flowing water.

How apropos.

This two-year journey has given me clarity, as well.

I notice things more.  And not just visually.  I’ve learned to tune into the sounds around me, as well. (Though Alison, reminding me last night of something she told me before, might not agree.)

For instance, I listen now to the language of birds.



It started a month ago, as I helped Grace learn bird calls for a project.  Suddenly, a world of meaningful sound opened up to me.  The cacophony of early morning chattering has become a chorus of individual voices, like being in a loud party and suddenly discerning each individual conversation.  And I can’t stop hearing them now.

Like the single, strong chirp of a Baltimore oriole in a nearby tree.



Or the loud churr of a northern flicker.



Or the scolding mews of a catbird.  (Not worth picturing.  Let's not encourage them.)

We’re so good at tuning things out.  It’s a necessary skill to navigate through life.  But I think it’s the job of art to be a spotlight that swings around in the periphery of our lives, saying, “Look at this!”

Look at all these benches!

Look at all these birds!

Look at all these mugs!

I've started a new experiment in crowd-sourced creating called Mugshots on Facebook. People send me photos of their favorite mug, I post them, others comment, and I hand write the comments into the photo.

I think my quest had been clarified in that sense: try to find ordinary things bring into that spotlight.  For me and for you to notice.




A few months ago, as a joke, I came up with a symbol to represent me.

It means, “Watch this!”  Though it originally pertained to my scribing, it equally fits this clarified quest to look over something previously overlooked.  And let's view it together.



So, two years in, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll keep blogging about benches.  I’ve already slowed down how often I post them. But as long as there are interesting things to point out – and readers to point them out to – I’ll keep looking.  And listening. 

And sitting.