One of my favorite recent pictures began with a household chore. The recycling bin in the kitchen was nearly to the point where I couldn’t stuff any more in. I put on my slippers and headed outside to empty it into the big bin. On my way back in, the scene in the front yard bought me to a full stop.
It was a clear Saturday morning, but it had been raining the previous two days. The flowers in the yard were still wet, and each drop of water caught the morning sunlight, shining like a disco ball.
I hadn’t planned to take photos today. The camera and lenses were still in the bag in the closet. The memory card was still tucked away in my office. I raced as fast as I could to get the equipment together, but in the few minutes that took, the scene outside had changed dramatically.
A gentle breeze rocked the petals and leaves, pooling the droplets together in the process. Larger drops dulled the sparkle.
I found a few clusters of flowers that were as amazing as they were when I had a recycle bin rather than a camera in my hands, and I got down on my elbows to record the wonder. Instead of being crushed that I missed the opportunity to photograph the full yard, I was glad that I got to see it.
As we race through life there is so much that we miss that it’s worth celebrating the moments we don’t — even if there is a recycle bin in our hands.
(Kevin’s book, Five Minutes in Nature, collects images and stories about his experiences in the wilderness, curated to help you have deeper encounters of your own. Preview and order it here. Prints of his images are available through LivingWilderness.com. Learn about new work by joining his mailing list.)
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