Observations ~ when things are good…
Greeting dear friends & fellow navigators, & welcome to my world this weekend, following two weeks holiday around the South Island. Or do we still call such trips holidays when one is retyred? Still, other than lots of driving, a relaxing break from staying home & opportunity to see friends & family from Invercargill to Kaiapoi & Hanmer.
During our travels coming home, just before Twizel, the front screen indicator of our recently purchased new car suggested we needed to ‘check tyre pressures’… We duly stopped at the next motor garage & proceeded to do as required. According to me there was no changes to air pressure required. As we continued the trip regretfully the light would not go away…
The next township was Fairlie, it was Friday mid-afternoon & I was not too confident of finding anyone who may assist. However, come to the rescue Mackenzie Country Motors, #2 Regent Street, Fairlie 7925. We made enquiries, & gentleman essentially dropped what he was doing, referred to his mobile telephone, had a chat & virtually within 8~9 minutes all was well following some play with the exclamation mark button on steering wheel…
Upon enquiry as to cost for services I was advised: ‘no problems, all is good’. Just like my father would have done during his 37 years owning a motor garage in Waimatuku, my home village in Southland. In our environment today, I am pleased to confirm; all is not lost… I decided a lotto ticket was indeed well deserved & very much appreciated from such humble country people, as one might expect. Another life altering moment…
I have been reflecting since how there is something magic about the way the late afternoon sun falls just right, casting a warm glow on everything it touches. You can feel the breeze on your skin, hear the rustle of leaves, & for a moment, you stop. You realize this, right here, is one of those small pockets of happiness we tend to miss. It is nothing grand or life-altering, but it is enough.
I have written on happiness a few times previously, most recently July earlier this year. We often think happiness is this big, final thing we have to chase. But the truth is, there is no “happily ever after.” Rather I think this is most probably just a fantasy we grew up believing. What there is, & what is real, is a lot of “happy for right now.” And maybe this the real beauty of it. It is not permanent, but it shows up more often than we think.
We miss out on so much because we are always reaching forward, convinced real happiness is some other time, somewhere else. But happiness is not a place; it is a feeling. It is not something we are meant to live in all the time, but something we experience in flashes, in tiny doses which tend to come & go.
The world is not perfect, but we are typically fine. Maybe we are sitting outside on a park bench, curled up in our favourite chair, or just driving home with the windows down, letting the breeze rush in. For just a second in our lives, everything feels okay. [If this is not nice, I do not know what is].
Sure, things could go wrong tomorrow. But right now? We are fine, & we should hold on to this feeling, not because it is rare, but because we overlook them. Good things are there. They are always there, but we miss them because we are looking too far ahead, worrying about what is coming next.
We all hold the power to decide where & what to look for. When we are always scanning the horizon for problems, we miss the little joys. We miss the smell of freshly cooked food & the simple peace which comes with sitting still, like meditating, & doing nothing at all.
Happiness does not always arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it is quiet & subtle, like the soft patter of rain against the window late at night. It is easy to miss if you are not paying attention. But when you notice it ~ when you stop, breathe, & really see it; you realize how often those moments come around.
Life may not be perfect, but these moments, these little slices of joy, they are real. Just like they were last Friday afternoon in Fairlie @ Mackenzie Country Motors; & they are enough. Drop in next time you are passing through Fairlie & say thankQ again from me, I just hope enough people get the opportunity meet these lovely people.
Just few observations again dear friends, & provide an opinion in my world. Thank you for stopping by, I appreciate your being here. If my journey encourages you also, all is well with my soul. Looking forward to being back next week; this is Kenn Butler in Paradise, Nelson with best wishes.
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