I consider myself a writer, so of course, the root of my existence is to daydream. Recently I've been paying attention to little nuances I've never paid any mind to before. I have the most random thoughts and questions pop up in my head as I zone out in my sustainability class. I watch as my professor speaks from the PowerPoint slides, listening to her unique accent without comprehending what she's saying, and wonder what her childhood was like growing up. My eyes then gaze towards a guy sitting in front of me. He's reading a long text message full of heart emojis. I assume it was a heartfelt paragraph written by his significant other and wonder how he's feeling right now reading that — how his relationship must be. He blushes and cannot stop staring at his phone to read the text.
Some may just say that I have my head in the clouds. But, if you take the time to notice the complexities of people and things in the world around you, then you undoubtedly begin to develop a consciousness that extends beyond your own daily functioning. You begin to grow a healthy curiosity about the rest of the world and a sense of compassion that can do nothing but good.
Have you ever wondered who made the clothes you're wearing right now? Who used to walk on the same ground you're walking on right now, about 100 years ago? How the president of your college/university even got that job? What your boss's/professor's life is like outside of school/work? Where the people sitting next to you on public transportation are trying to go and have come from? Who wrote the graffiti on the building you just walked past?
Besides noticing the little things about the world, you should also keep in mind the ones that pertain to you and the people in your life. "Enjoy the little things in life because one day you`ll look back and realize they were the big things." — Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Life is made up of so many small moments. The little things in life mean everything. And I notice every little thing, good or bad.
I notice when my mom cuts up tiny pieces of apples, oranges, and strawberries, and hands them to me on a plate as I sit at my desk doing homework without bothering me. I notice the light coming into my room when I wake up at nine every morning — how it illuminates the whole room and is the perfect lighting to remind me that I have a whole new day ahead of me.
I notice when friends start to slowly exit from my life — using a different, uninterested tone when speaking to me in person, replying with brief texts or deciding not to text back at all. I've noticed how some people can change due to nothing but time.
There are so many things we never take the time to notice or wonder about, and the second that you do, you realize how little you really know about the world and people in your life. This realization is a healthy one, though. For many, it is a moment which marks early adulthood, when it suddenly hits you that you know absolutely nothing, and want to know everything.
