What we already have

People are funny. We have this nasty habit of forgetting the things that are right in front of us. Those really awesome special beautiful things we have, but tend to overlook them because we have always had them.

I thought of this a few weeks ago after we had attended a workshop/class type thing at a local nature center. Its a beautiful place full of wildlife.

Yep. Beautiful. And full of wildlife. Not unlike our own backyard. But for some reason in my mind, the scenery and the wildlife at the nature center is somehow more...valid? important? worthy? real?...than what's in our backyard. I didn't come right out and say this, obviously. And I'm not even sure I was giving that impression. I just woke up and realized one day that we have exactly the same stuff in our backyard as what I'm paying money for my kids to experience at the nature center.

Can you say "dumb?"

Maybe it was that we were with kids who had never seen a painted turtle up close. Or a bullsnake. Or thought it was amazingly awesome that a downy woodpecker was at the feeder right there. It was a kick in the pants to me. We have this at home.

Now I'm not knocking nature centers. And I'm not rippin' on kids who haven't had the pleasure to experience nature like this themselves up close. What I'm talking about is me, and possibly my kids, who sometimes don't have a clue about all the awesome stuff that is right outside their backdoor. You know, the stuff we forget about and take for granted, because its right outside the backdoor.

I feel like I've had a revelation. Like I need to open my eyes just a little wider and see what we have around here that I've stopped seeing.

How about you? What have you stopped seeing? What have you forgotten is right outside your backdoor? Or downstairs? Or in the living room? Or down the street?