I have a fascination with a great many things in life. Some odd, some strange and others, like today's topic, very simple yet wondrous. I am talking of course, about sunsets. You can throw in sunrises if you really wanted to in the mix but for me, sunsets have a particular charm all unto themselves, being the precursor to the night that follows.
I'm not sure if there ever was a time when everyone sat down to enjoy a sunset with a glass of lemonade on some porch with their loved ones, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I hoped that this image was in fact one time true. Wrap-around porches, dogs running in the yard and a quiet serenity as we contemplate life and all it's little mysteries. This is the hope I hold for sunsets.
Though we might not boastfully yell, "who has time for sunsets, I've got things to do!", our attitude reflects a sentiment of that nature. Worry not, however, because the remedy is quite simple: go out and see a sunset ASAP. That didn't hurt a bit, did it?
There's something inexplicably refreshing about seeing a sunset and not just for the obvious reasons of beauty we might expect. Sure enough, the sky begins to turn a series of colors that would make an artist's palette seem sheepishly embarrassing and that, in and of itself is enough, even if you only appreciated that aspect of this natural wonder. There is, hidden behind that display of tones another experience that reminds us all, one simple day after the other, that we are still human and there is so much we can do in a day. That us, like nature, must reset our clocks and have a punch out time.
We have, without much argument I would assume, moved quickly into a 24 hour society. 24 hour television, internet, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations and I'll stop there because I know you get the point. The good points about all this non-stop consuming are obvious-we can get what we want whenever we want it, period. The bad thing is that there's clear way to mark the end of the day. Bluriness in life is a dangerous thing. Days blur into weeks, weeks into years and before you know it, you can't even remember what you did last summer. Part of the human experience is enjoying each moment as it comes. Multitasking, especially when it comes to sensory overload is a much promoted feature of our modern day humanity yet I'm not so sure we were made to experience too many things at once.
How much can take in of a moving landscape with your headphones on, book in hand, television on, computer on three different screens or whatever multi-sensory devices you have all going on at once?
Now I'm not here to suggest like some New Year's resolution where you decide you're going to eat healthy and work out 7 days a week, some crazy life loving schedule of watching every sunset, reading poetry or planting a tree. Nope, this is much simpler. Once a week, do something you haven't done in a long time that you think might make you breath easier, quiet your mind a bit and just be, without the interruption of cell phones, emails or any electronic anything.
I'll call you later to see what you decided to do and you better not pick up.
If you go for ice-cream...I want some :)
much sunset love
~Adrian
Daily Update: Just wanted to let everyone know that my songs are available on iTunes and most other digital music companies. As always, I thank everyone that has supported and bought my music, giving me the possibility to keep doing what I love doing most, make great music to share with all of you.
