A genuine interest

Julia ♦ April 6, 2021 ♦ Leave a comment

An everyday moment, now a treasured memory. Dixon, California, January 2003

“The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” ― William Morris

I like to keep a camera handy so I can capture everyday moments, the type that seem commonplace.  Now that most people have cell phones with cameras, this is happening more often, and I think that’s mostly a good thing.  As with all such innovations, it can be overdone or misused, but I think cameras can help us be more aware of how wonderful even the seemingly dullest day can be.

When I was working as a youth services librarian in California, there was a lively group of kids who came to the public library every afternoon after school because there was no one at home and they didn’t want to be alone.  Sensing that they needed something different to do while they spent so much time in the small “children’s room” of the library, one of the other staff members and I decided to start a craft day for them.  Each week we would work together on some sort of simple craft, and soon other young visitors and parents joined in regularly.

There was nothing particularly special about the day I snapped this photo.  I just happened to have my camera along with me.  I look at it now and it brings me such joy to remember these precious children I saw almost every day.  After more than eleven years, they are all adults now, and many of them probably have children of their own.  If so, I hope they take their kids to the library with fond memories of what a fun place it can be.

Are there everyday moments you have captured, on film or in your memory, that bring you joy to this day?  I hope you will look around today and take some snapshots, with a camera or just with your mind, to remind you of all the often-unnoticed things that make up your daily life.  I’ve found that what Morris said holds true; when we look closely at our lives, they become quite interesting, and bring us deep happiness.

One year ago today:

After ecstasy

And speaking of daily life, you might enjoy a visit to one of my favorite blogs. It’s called Pictures from Everyday Life.  I love to go there and take a mini-escape to England, where I can go for a virtual walk in the lovely countryside with Jez, Max, and Julia.  She has a gift for capturing the beautiful moments of “normal” days.  It’s a great way to enjoy everyday life in England, something I’ve always wished I could do in reality!

This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.