08/19/2025
While out for a walk this morning, I came across a slug slowly making his way across the path and decided to take a moment to stop and observe him.
As I crouched down, I realized how I almost breezed quickly past him. A fast walker by nature, it sometimes feels that my morning walks come with a mission of achieving something or getting somewhere. Usually, I suppose, the walks come with the intention of shaking off any early morning, pre-day anxieties. It can sometimes feel like the quicker I get out the door and get some distance behind me, the quicker I’ll return to baseline.
However, as I watched the slug creep by, I thought about how much I may counteract my good intentions by zooming through my neighbourhood surroundings. How many things do I miss when I’m living in my head and in a state of ‘getting-to-the-next-thing’ in my day?
Sometimes, a brisk walk is what I want, but other times, starting my day in a rush doesn’t set me up for success.
Stop and smell the roses, they say. Or, alternatively, stop and watch the slug ooze past.
What do you notice in your neighbourhood when you slow down and look around? 👀
