It’s sad, but true. Thank goodness my husband loves me.
Here’s the deal – I have, more than once, failed to observe obvious items in my space. The first time it happened was many, many years ago. I had just come home from my first day at work, and all I wanted to do was to call someone (I can’t remember now if it was my boyfriend – now DH – or my mom). I had gone up to my rented room, and my room was messy. I was probably even in the middle of unpacking, although maybe not. At any rate, there was a television – large, bright white, with an attached VCR – sitting on the floor of my room. I didn’t notice until someone (mom or boyfriend/DH, still can’t remember) pointed it out to me.
Much more recently, yesterday, in fact, me and the kids were walking back to our new house after parking our car around the corner. There were kids on bikes in the alley, so we were sort of talking with them. I didn’t notice until I went to close the screen door behind me that DH was rightthere! He scared me so much, I socked him for startling me.
Then even more recently than that, just tonight, I got home from work to the surprise of many of our boxes moved out of the living room where they’d been previously situated. Instead I have three walls lined with couches (we have six seating options in this room – it’s funny). But on my way to the living room, I missed the massive photo of DH and I decked out in our wedding duds! I walked through the room a couple more times until I asked if he’d done that just as I’d been upstairs changing, or if it had been there when I arrived home.
That’s when my lovely, darling husband so accurately declared, “That’s because you have the observational skills of a slug.”
Hrmm…
Okay, it’s true. I listen to people talk without truely hearing what they’re saying. I look at my surroundings without actually seeing what’s really there. I’m very good at filtering out my daughter’s chatter when I’m working on a project and she’s playing with her dolls. So how do I actually start becoming more observant?
paying close attention especially to details
Susheel Chandradhas suggests with his article 7 Ways to a More Observant Life, that a good photographer is also a good observer. Hey, he’s got a point. The people I know who are the best photographers are also really good at “reading” people and calling things like they really are – cutting through the bull.
I also enjoyed Becoming More Observant over at Scribblepad. They summed it up pretty well – listen, observe, move, play. I do sort of notice my perspective being adjusted when I open myself up to just being open.
I think I need to pull on these, and sort of develop my own steps. Opening myself up to actually not filtering everything out seems to be the biggest step, and there are lots of little tricks out there I can use to put myself in situations where observation is important.
When I get my steps pulled together, I’ll be sure to let you know. :)