It was Anne’s idea to, this year, spend our “anniversary trip” in one place. Wherever that would be, we would get to know it better, see it deeper, and just have time to be.
Though it could have been anywhere, we came to coastal Oregon. We’ve not been disappointed. Even with the famous rain, there’s also the famous green, the famous forests, the wild seas and wondrous coves, the driftwood beaches, the great seafood and, of course, many interesting people. We came for three weeks, and the whole time–in shades of grey or in full color–has been beautiful.
Beauty, it’s something we need.
One friend of mine told me how she experienced that. She’d gone to Vietnam with her husband for a military reunion many years after the war. The ravages were still apparent and after some days she was feeling absolutely depressed by it. It was like a sickness of ugliness. Too bad; Vietnam in its natural state is a place of beauty. Finally, she came across a beautiful scene and her spirit leapt. She revived and was at peace again.
I once met another person who had undertaken a study of beauty. She’d earned an online PhD in aesthetics. Intrigued, I went online to find the school and look at the program. It was there, and the curriculum was both deep and wide–involving a great deal of reading. Far too academic for me. Good for some minds, but I’m afraid I’d bog down and lose the original idea. Instead of my eyes being opened, they’d be glazed over.
I like better the example of a Catholic nun I encountered some years ago who called herself “a wonderologist.” Her self-proclaimed purpose in life was to see the wonder of every moment and point it out to whoever was standing near and cared to appreciate it with her.
I wonder if there’s a degree offered in wonder somewhere.
Meantime, I can always devise my own: An independent study in wonder, with a double emphasis in aesthetics and beauty.
I could start today as we leave lovely Oregon, with a lunch stop in artistic Ashland, then through mountains and by snow-covered Shasta in northern California, stopping to see our kids in “Tall Tree” (Palo Alto), onto the Carmel gallery I’m in, then down through the majestic coasts of Big Sur to mellow San Luis Obispo for a quick stay with sister Sue, and finally home, the best place of all.
All along the way there should be signs, “Slow, Beauty Ahead.”
The trouble is, we’d never get there.
Sometimes God’s speed
Is not what we need.
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Next: Yet more about beauty. Coming Monday.
Feel free to share with a friend.
Our Lives Together
Its About Life
6:58 am
Thanks, Hyatt, I needed your words just for today. I have been bogged down by some of the ugliness of life in this world. Wonderologist….. I think I will add that behind my name!
7:21 am
Love this! Will pass it on.You are a Wonderologist! I remember when you and Anne prayed for a “Great First Impression” when traveling to live in Guatemala. And, you got it! Lovely Guatemala. See you soon. Making cake!
7:55 am
Hyatt,
Thank you for painting this picture in words. Slowing to see beauty is nearly a lost art in our hurry up culture, yet Beauty calls to us in glimpses as we speed by. Your Anne is so wise to choose simplicity for this trip. Enjoy the journey south and the cake at Sue’s!
8:13 am
I am puzzled by your closing line….Somestimes God’s speed is not what we need”….please do enlighten. Wondering in Puyallup….
9:12 am
Wonderful, Hyatt. So glad you and Anne have had a beautiful time. Esther de Waal wrote a book called “Lost in Wonder” which speaks to what you write about. I’ve enjoyed her book as I do your writing.
Thank you and safe travels!
9:59 am
I am “wondering” at the timing of this reminder as I get ready to get on the road to travel north for awhile. As you and Anne are traveling south, may we all not forget to slow at the beauty we encounter. Meanwhile, I do hope I would have appreciated the nun’s wonder, and that I am more like her than I think I am. As for your last line, I will be pondering it, but please know that me and Puyallup Patty await your elaboration.
10:21 am
I love this! A study of wonder! That Nun and I are twins joined at the hip. :)
This is a great word for today and always. The sense of wonder infuses life with a special magic where green is green and blue is really blue. Colorsense is revived and celebrated along with the senses taking in the breezy sounds and even grey skies and barren winter trees evoke their quiet essence.
11:21 am
I never tire of the coast and ocean – I always feel a new wonder every time I lay eyes on the ocean – especially along the Oregon Coast which is a place to meander and contemplate what God hath wrought!
8:06 pm
It is said that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”. We do need to take the time to behold! I look forward to having more time to behold one of these days.
8:51 pm
In 1979 we drove from Guatemala to British Columbia, travelling along the west coast of the US. We were mainly driving, but we did camp at night, and our drive took us along the wondrous Oregon coast. When we stopped somewhere in Oregon we were so super-saturated with beauty, we couldn’t continue. We had to stop for a while just to absorb and rest. So we spent a day just taking in the beauty of one locality, and then continued on our trip. There was no let-up to the beauty for days and days on end. When we finally got to the quiet, understated beauty of the prairies, I found it a kind of relief. The coast had been overwhelming.
12:51 am
Beauty! I was looking at the sky in lovely San Diego tonight from our high rise condo on the 23rd floor! The sky was pink, peace, blue, and purple some yellow leaving……………… God’s painting! God’s beauty!
12:46 pm
Let’s hear it for Anne! We have tane few “vacations”, however,wherever we lived or passed through, we always made sure to take advantage of the wondrous beauty all around us–a gift from the Creator of “beauty!”
11:09 am
Love this! I believe it to be a tragedy that everyone isn’t a wonderologist. I think I became one somewhere back in my thirty’s and have been blessed by the revelation ever since. I have even earned the nickname, Gazer Boy by my family and a few close friends because I’m constantly scanning for something interesting or beautiful. I am particularly fond of star gazing at night while relaxing up on the deck, alone or with others. One funny story I have about this topic was an overnight fishing trip I was on with some friends one year. I had gone to bed as we traveled out to sea to our fishing destination which we reached about 4:30 in the morning. I was abruptly woken up at that time by my close friend Jeff Ray who grabbed my shoulder and said, “Get up gazer boy, you need to see this.” He led me up on deck and to the bow of the boat where there was no lights on. The sight took my breath away as I looked out and up at the stars. Since there was no moon or lights out in the ocean to obstruct our vision the stars literally started at the horizon and ended at the other horizon. I could look horizontally out from the boat and see stars that looked like they were lying on the ocean. I had never seen so many stars per square inch in my life and was truly in awe. Jeff then walked up behind me and said, “now your gonna have church,” and placed a set of head phones on me. He handed me a mini CD player pushed the play button and walked away. It was an album by a band called Third Day and the first song that played was called, God of wonders. I stood there alone worshiping and watching multiple falling stars in complete joy for the entire album. I think I prefer the nickname wonderologist instead of gazer boy and I would definitely like to obtain a wonder degree with you.
11:48 am
I made that same trip/drive back to SoCal with my family 2 Thanksgivings ago when we spent Thanksgiving on Whidbey Island WA and was amazed by the wonder and beauty of it. Ashland is so quaint and there is nothing like the beauty of the coast all the way home. Also..can’t beat Carmel and Big Sur.
I am so looking forward to someday having the ability (time mostly :)to spend 3 – 4 weeks in one place surrounded by quintessential charm and beauty and just get to know it and the people who live there all the while painting or writing. You guys are living my dream :D Enjoy and be safe!
11:49 am
Wondorology…..ah…my true calling. Somehow I took a REALLY wrong turn somewhere and ended up with something called a law degree….still trying to find my way out! LOL.
5:02 pm
I agree whole heartedly, beauty is something we need. I have always felt closest to God when I’m surrounded by nature’s incredible beauty, especially in the cold, clear, snow capped, take-your-breath-away mountains. The skies can be shades of blue I never see anywhere else and the crystals from the snow so vivid and reflective. Even the sound of snow is beautiful. And the Oregon coast…such raw, strong, powerful beauty. Yes, I believe in Wonderology!