Where Do You Look?

Blog post #428 of 365

My grandfather always walked a little bent over. Well he did from before I was born anyway.

Short grandpa story. When he was young he worked at the grand canyon. He was walking into the canyon and was pushed off the side by a pack mule. He landed on his feet about three stories down. His broken ankles heels and his legs were never the same. Neither was his back. After a fairly long recovery he never could stand up straight. He leaned forward and for many years always looked at the ground when he walked.

Many of the older folk at church walk bent forward with their eyes trained on the ground too. I began to think it was an old people thing but there are just as many who do not. A little confusing.

Mom walked through the house a little bit ago and I noticed she was walking bent forward with her eyes to the ground. I asked her about it. She said she knows if she falls she can't get up so she does everything in her power to avoid looking ahead or up so to speak. It made me wonder how much she misses as she walks past eyes down.

My friend Judy from college (both older students) was the same when it came to missing things. She didn't look at her feet but she did look straight ahead. She said she always had her eyes and her mind on the end goal. I wonder how much she missed out on my focusing so narrowly. I don't think it is a good idea to focus too much attention away from a goal but I do believe losing sight of the bigger picture means missing out on a lot.

I hope as I age I don't become the person so bent or so worried about falling or losing focus I miss out on all of the wonderful things around me.