Look up

 

If you are a person who routinely looks up to the sky and marvels at nature, this is not for you.

Bird people won’t relate to this well. I can distinguish a cardinal from a blue jay, but that’s about it.

You see I’ve figured out in these past months that I need to look up. I literally need to adjust the angle of my head and eyes and Look Up.

Not selling this here as some earth shattering revelation. I can see the eye rolls and clicks onward as I write this. But if you’re still with me, you’re either curious or feeling better about yourself as you keep reading. In either case, you’re welcome.

“Head down” has always carried positive connotations for me. It’s meant focused, hard at work, not easily distracted, committed to finishing the job. All traits I like. But in this year-plus of unprecedented loss of control over outcomes I found myself more often sitting back and literally looking up. It’s felt close to giving up at times - but that’s too melodramatic. It’s clearly healthier than that. It’s more of an acceptance. Kind of a “WTF” mixed with a “holy crap how is that tree still standing?”

While I’ve never been a star gazer, I am an eye-contact guy. I hate how Covid had us crossing streets, pausing at doorsteps, and rushing by each other on sidewalks to avoid passing a pandemic amongst pedestrians. Talk about giving Head Down a bad name. Using our eyes to convey and interpret friendliness with a mix of “not now” is an art. For the past 15 months it’s been Not Ever.

As I have realized what is up there, I began more consciously looking up. Lot of stuff going on up there. Inexplicable weather and nature stuff. And tiny planes taking people I’ll never meet to places I’ll never know. Calms me down. Things are looking up.