Funny how Time can affect our vision. We see the past through rose-colored glasses (think of the movie romanticism of that maritime disaster, the sinking of the Titanic) and our current day with horse blinders on. A recent incident confirms this.
April 14: my arrival into Australia in 2008. Has it really been four years?! Where does time go? I arrived in Perth in the middle of the night and when I woke up in the morning I dashed over to the library to get my library card. (Isn’t that what everyone does in a new town?) That day, and each day for several weeks beyond, was filled with discovery and new things for the mind to digest. But even then I feared it all becoming too commonplace. Familiarity may or may not breed contempt, but it sure does promote tunnel vision. I am all too aware that I have become as quite myopic as the locals.
A few days ago, I was returning from a quick errand on our side of downtown. It was such a nice day that I decided to walk home rather than take a bus. Taking a shortcut to the bridge would have me avoid playing chicken with cars at a major traffic circle. It would also expose a piece of the city I had never seen before. From the elevated seating of a bus, this small strip of land looks like a tree-lined bike path next to a municipal parking lot. From ground level, it is a hidden park complete with an extensive playground set, Aboriginal interpretive center and a bike & kayak rental barn.
This park is but a half mile from my home. However did I miss this? I feverishly thought of excuses: tree cover keeps this hidden from commuters, my left knee keeps me from bicycling on the bike paths, it’s the “wrong side” of the river, etc. The truth is that I have put on the same blinders that so many others wear. We each follow our same path each day without variance , without seeing what we look at. A life of routine.
Routine is a voracious eater of Time. I shouldn’t wonder that four years have elapsed without me noticing. So I vow that I will get off the same over-trodden path or vary my routine on a regular basis from here on out. I am looking forward to more discoveries.
