Have you ever gone to the store and looked at the vegetable section and think, “Gosh this is beautiful”? Well, that is exactly what I saw this week, beauty in the produce aisle! What made it first catch my eye was the simplicity of picking out vegetables. You simply grab one look at it. If you think it’s good, you take it, if not, put it back and move on. I have determined that the reason I suddenly see the beauty in simplicity is that I have recently been in the state of mind where it seems that everything is changing. Changes are coming, not just in school, but in the world. I see elementary school kids with cellphones instead of Barbie’s. Classes are now being taught without a teacher in the room. I am not saying that change is a bad thing, but sometimes I just want a constant; something tangible that is not always changing. That is where the produce aisle came in! I was in a massive tailspin about how much things were changing when I went grocery shopping this week, but luckily the beauty of the produce aisle actually calmed me. It may seem funny that, to me, the produce aisle beautiful, but it is. I love that, for as long as human beings have bought vegetables, this is the way they have done it. They pick it up; accept or reject it; and move to the next one. Sure, the building and vegetables themselves have changed but the principle of looking and picking out which specific vegetable you want has stayed the same. I like the thought that, even with all the new technology and accessibility, the way we pick vegetables has stayed the same. It is comforting for me to know that not everything needs to be changed or have a 2.0 version. Some things are perfect just the way they are!
That is my big over thought this week; not everything needs to be complicated. Sometimes the most beautiful things in life are the simplest. Often times, I feel that the simple things are the hardest to find. If others are like me, I often tend to look for beauty in something flashy and complicated. Because of this belief, I find that I often miss out on the beauty in the simple things in life. As I focused on the simple things, I saw the beauty in just watching the sunrise, laughing with a friend or picking out vegetables in the grocery aisle.
Maybe that is why it seems that everything is changing to the point it is overwhelming. I am so overwhelmed by change because I don’t take the time to notice the items that never change. I get so caught up in finding the next new thing and the latest items that I lose track of the constants. This week, I discovered the key to not letting change overwhelm me is to look at the consistency and simplicity that the world has to offer and to fully appreciate it. All it took to remind me of this was a quick trip to the grocery store; I guess the world gave me the answer I was looking for: in a simply beautiful way.
I really like your take on how simple things can just brighten up your day. I think that if we were to really focus on the simple things in life, we would find that there are many things that are like this. Things like the sunset, the fence in front of your yard, the birds in the trees, or even the weird quirky weather of Holbrook. All these things can give us a sense of normalcy in our rapidly changing town. Let us just hope that Holbrook does not change to the point that we can’t see the simple things in life.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is cool. I also think that, while change is good, it is also nice to have some sort of consistency in our lives nowadays. It seems like many of the more simple things we do are pretty constant and less likely to change. I like how you brought up shopping in a produce aisle. I had never really thought about it, but it is true that nothing has really changed with it in how you pick whatever you are going to buy. Anyway, I am glad that you shared your thoughts on this subject. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteEryn this is very interesting. First of all when I look at the produce aisle I do not think of its beauty. I just think about the food I will be eating. Anyways, I think it is kind of crazy how overwhelming change can be. It seems like we get so caught up in routines that when we do something different we feel uncomfortable and out of place. Even though change can be scary I think it is important to experience new things. In fact, in college readiness we watched a movie about happiness. It told us that most people are not happy because they are stuck in a routine of doing the same exact thing every day. It told us that you will become happier if you simply change up your routine and try something new. I believe that we should not be afraid of change, but embrace it.
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