Are all of your senses engaged in the here and now? Over five lovely days in Hawaii, I didn't spend hours attached to my cell phone or my computer. The Musician and I wanted to be outside—walking, seeing and being in the moment. As a writer, I pay attention to detail and mentally describe what I'm seeing and hearing. As a gardener, I pay attention to the landscape—trees, flowers, birds and the sky. As a traveler, I revel in the experience of "just being" in a place.
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| Artists painting by the ocean. Diamond Head. November 2012 |
We walked along Diamond Head Road in Honolulu and stopped to watch a group of artists. The billowing bronze grass is pressed down, creating a path that leads a tree-shaded spot on the cliff above the blue ocean. Umbrellas are poised, protecting the canvases from the glare of the morning sun while the artists wear broad-brimmed hats to shield their faces. What do I see? Seeking shade. An impressionist painting. I imagine an artist painting this scene. I think Renoir would have painted these painters as they painted their landscapes.
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| Diamond Head Lighthouse. November 2012. |
Along the same road, we found the Diamond Head Lighthouse. The original was built in 1899 and the current structure uses the same Fresnel lens. My husband and I imagined being the keepers of the lighthouse, living at the base of Diamond Head, perched above the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. Sunshine, blue sky and sea on a beautiful day. At night, a bright moon reflects off of the white caps of crashing waves while the rotating beam of the lighthouse signals the shoreline to the passing boats.
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| Sunset at Waikiki Beach. November 2012. |
The sunset draws a crowd on Waikiki Beach. An evening ritual—to watch the ball of gold melt into the horizon and disappear. Look closely at the shadowy figures on the beach. They are in motion. Running. Playing. A biker pedals beneath the towering palms. Sailboats glide silently across the quiet water.
I'm home again. I'm writing this post in my garden room while drinking my morning coffee. The sunshine is streaming through the windows and outside on the sunny front porch, my husband, The Musician, is playing guitar. I'm going to join him there to listen. Being in the moment.
