Taking for Granted
We did a quick walkabout and a slower sip-about at a couple of local vineyards. The weather was great, very slight breeze and mild temperatures. The places we went were not people-packed so the pace of walking and sipping was perfect. Virginia is a beautiful state…I think most states are beautiful, each in their own way. I’ve been to many of them and lived in a lot. The thing I notice about my noticing where I live is…I have taken them for granted. (Sigh. Doesn’t everyone?) To name just a very few of my places…the plains of South Dakota, the incredible mountains of Utah, the superb beaches of the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast, the almost electric excitement of D.C., the natural peace of the PNW, the wondrous variety of California, the power of the ocean surrounding tiny, gorgeous Iceland.
At most times in my life I was sure where I lived at that moment was where I wanted to live when I “retired.” And, of course, in the interim, I would always return to visit. I loved spending time in Denmark when I was young and convinced myself that although I would not retire there, I would return at least once a year to revel in the spirit of the Danish culture and fun loving people. Didn’t happen. I also liked to think I paid very close attention to the land, the people, and the environment of ALL the places I’ve been, but thinking back, I’m not sure. Walking in the vineyards made me think back to the mountains of Utah and even Austria.
It’s almost a meme that we don’t pay attention to the places we live and visit. Some folks make lots of videos of where they are, what they eat, and who they’re with so they can relive the moments at their leisure. I wonder if they ever do. I mean, I wonder if they will look at the videos and believe that what they see on their phones is all there is. I have an opinion on that, too (of course I do).
Phone or camera image is just that…the thinnest sliver of time stacked on a silicon plate or chip in a place far away from anything close by or humanly recognizable. What it should represent (to me) is an icon of all my senses absorbing the essence of being alive in that moment, that place, with those people!. Easier said than done. I often look at pictures in my catalogue that go back 40 plus years. I do my best to remember everything about where, why, with whom the picture contains. Sometimes I’m successful, sometimes I’m not sure.
Rambling on. What does all that mean? Time. Not a lot of it. Ever. No matter your age. Sip the wine and taste the grape, the soil, the labor of the artists. Enjoy the view, it’s the best in the world for wherever and whenever you are.
Listen.
Listen.
Listening, an art and science beyond my ken but I know it’s within reach.
The image above is taken just outside the building on the Veritas Vineyard. The video below is from Hazy Mountain Vineyard.