What is This Life

if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare??

I had occasion to be on the other side of the city today. (Hmm. That sounds like I'm giving evidence it court, doesn't it?? ... "I had occasion to be in the vicinity of the jeweller's, on Friday last, when I observed the defendant break the window, m'lud").

Anyway - I was at the top of the hill, heading back down the the city centre (we don't have "downtowns" in the UK - we have city/town centres). The city is in a river valley, surrounded by hills, and has spread upwards in all directions, so you get a magnificent view across it from all the edges.

I looked across the city, and dominating the skyline was the cathedral. It's not the tallest building - there are three or four taller - and a lot more than that out at the university - but, because of the way the mediaeval city was laid out the cathedral still looks, when seen from the hillside, as though it's taller.

I stopped and looked at it for a bit. And then I thought, six hundred years ago travellers came over this hill and looked down at the city and saw what I now see. They saw that cathedral - but it was new and clean, and shining. And I was awestruck for a while.

Then I wondered if, six hundred years from now, there will be any humans left to walk over that hill and stare down at the cathedral, or if we will have destroyed ourselves before then. Earth will survive, nature will recover, new life-forms will evolve which can live in the mess we create, but can we??

I decided thoughts like that we too depressing and went back to being awestruck, thinking about the vast swathe of history between those who built it and me. Thinking of all the thousands of people who stood where I stood and looked at that wonderful building. And I felt kinship with them.

We don't stand and stare enough these days. Too rushed, too busy, too pre-occupied. Take a moment in your busy day to just stop. Watch the clouds. Listen to the birds. Breathe. Be at peace.

See you next week. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

Agent Carter
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