errands.

today i went for a lil stroll down to victoria court to run some errands. it is just a few blocks from my house, so the brisk morning walk was quite lovely. and strangely enough i found myself entertained and amused along the way. ha. now, if you were with me you probably would not have found yourself particularly amused by the outing because what i noticed was seemingly boring and insignificant. i guess it was the post-observation thoughts and musings that brought a smile to my face and a hop to my step.

wigs. now, i suppose there are people in this world who need a wig for medical reasons or something. and i get that. i think locks of love is an awesome ministry. but really, how could wigs by alice survive in santa barbara? it makes me laugh every time i walk by the shop, yet i do admit i have been tempted to pop in a time or two.

as i passed by a bank on the left, i noticed a business man in distress about something that had soiled his suit. he was ferociously whipping his lapel to rid it of the evidence of an apparent dining mishap. sad day. i felt for the guy. i hate it when i soil my linens. the worst i tell you.

whist i was at the post office, i found myself surround by elderly women aplenty. i love grandmothers. they are hilarious. and i was pleasantly surprised that we all ventured out to the post office at the same time. one woman paced back and forth outside, peering in the open doorway as if she were unsure if it was the post office or not. finally, a man in burmuda shorts and a hawaiian shirt (no, i am not kidding), asked her if she was lost. she was indeed. "i am looking for the toilet," she explained. and then scurried off in a westward direction. i chuckled. then, the women behind me was all to close for comfort. indeed, my personal space was being violated, but i laughed and decided she was anxious to buy her stamps. too boot, when i first arrived, another women wanted to ensure that her package would arrive by the 18th but was not willing to pay the extra to deliver it express. so typical. and warranted. i didn't want to pay the extra ten bucks either when never seems to make a difference. it always takes days to reach the rural mountain-land i call home. all that happened in the ten minutes i was in line. haha.

i went to vons to get the not so healthy components of my diet. ice cream. and cereal. i have been on this whole granola and yogurt thing for a while. but i could not resist buying oh's when they were quite visibly on sale just for me. i even thought for a moment i would splurge and buy lucky charms. but i resisted the temptation. instead, i bought a far healthier cereal made from pure sugar. no big deal. i even bought some chapstick. yup. and some light bulbs because my room light when out last week and i finally remembered to get them. productive morning i know!

as i cruised up the sidewalk along chapala. i found myself trailing a trio of high schoolers. apparently black tights and pink is all the rage. i missed the memo. they were chatting it up and walking all too slowly for my pace, so i crossed the walk and blazed up the other side. only to notice a piece of blackened gum on the sidewalk in the shape of africa. strange. just the other day, there was a small pool of water in my sink that all to closely resembled africa. prophetic? perhaps... Jesus, are you telling me something?

all and all, quite an interesting (and perhaps prophetic) 20 minute outing to be sure. oh what a joy life is. ready for my deep and insightful reflection? i sure am. you see, life is like a box of...haha.

but really, how often do we go through life unaware of the small things? or neglect to reflect on the simplicities of life? how often to we allow for the unseen to remain in darkness? or the voiceless to remain without voice? do we allow time enough in our busy schedules to let our minds to wander, our feet to skip, our eyes to notices, our hands to feel? do we stop and sit on that park bench and listen to the birds even for but a moment? do we enjoy the process? the in-between? the present? or are we constantly trying to reach the end? get through the day? and on to the next?

let us remember, "this is our now. this is life that we have chosen?" - dr. greg spencer. let us be present. and aware. and let us notice that which goes unnoticed.