I read a quote today which resonated with me.“Familiarity breeds contempt. The same streets, the same people-we may love and appreciate them, but we can get so used to them. We take them for granted. The magic is gone“. The author goes on to say, “This problem is compounded in the digital age. Society trains us to value what is new and exciting. Everything grows brighter and louder to gain our attention. Our attention spans shorten as a result. We want the next thing, and the next thing after that”.

Ordinary is no longer pleasant nor is it deemed acceptable. We see the term GOAT thrown about daily in the sports world. News feeds routinely tout lists of the greatest people and their acheivements. If we don’t experience the extraordinary in our travels then we consider these trips as failures. Average is just not good enough.

Indeed, the world is a miraculous place. Natural and man-made wonders abound, and I plan to experience as many as possible during my remaining years. Sometimes, it seems like the extraordinary has become as common as the ordinary. And, when extraordinary becomes this familiar, what is there to look forward to?

A man doing calisthenics in front of a monument. A baby taking her first step. A symphony tuning their instruments. Ants creating an underground city. Satellites orbiting the earth. The complexity of the human eye. Cellphones and televisions. Neighbors mowing their lawns. Tree leaves budding-out at the precise time every year. Heart transplants. Flying a kite. Mountains, oceans, deserts and plains. Reading a book. And the list continues infinitely.

I watched the rain pelt the greening earth this morning. The clouds moved on and eventually the sun appeared. I saw a doe in our back yard yesterday browsing on honeysuckle leaves while squirrels played tag and birds ate seed from a feeder. Ordinary stuff, and I love it. Truly, I am blessed for all of the ordinary in my life. In fact, I am in awe of it.