Truly, my path is littered, glittered, and patterned with the most interesting people, events, and ‘things.’ A mindfulness walk a few days ago began with great vigor and ended in an ambling wistfulness.

Why did the dog and I go from purposeful to shambling? I mean, we were both full of energy and the brisk air accentuated our eagerness to engage with the world. Yet, barely into our daily connection, I saw a mother pushing a stroller with her smartphone up front and center. Then we saw a fellow walking two dogs with leashes in one hand and an iPad in the other. Next, we saw a college student plugged into his music with eyes totally oblivious to anything around him. Then…oh dear, another mother, another baby, another phone!

Do I resent such loving or such addicted focus on mails, music, or Facebook. No, not at all. Instead, I was unutterably sad for what they were missing with the telescoping of their attention.

They missed the student who became a little tyke stomping through the fall leaves wherever he saw them. Too bad, also, that they didn’t see the pumpkin sitting on a stair ledge with one of the biggest, goofiest smiles imaginable. Had they had the foresight to raise their eyes, they would have seen a sky so blue and so pure that it went from being real to being this perfect stage set piece.

They also missed the workman whose leafblower fell and did a little dance before he could corral it. Neither did they see the 3-yr-old shoving a bagel into her Dad’s mouth, all the while singing, “Eat, Daddy, eat!”

Yeah, it was just one of my ‘ordinary’ days. Guess I am just a bit wistful though that my fellow walkers weren’t present to enjoy these moments.