The Difference Between the Mundane and Wonder—a Fine Thread

The thread’s strength depends on the “seers” willingness to look, to gaze in wonder at the ordinariness filling the spaces we inhabit.

Merriam-Webster defines mundane as “relating to or characteristic of the world; practical, ordinary.” The repetitive, daily activities like washing dishes, mowing the lawn, or driving to work consume much of our days and most of our lives, and we miss the wonder.

For as long as I can remember, I have scoured the landscape of my world looking for something I can never define, but that I know with all certainty exists.

Years pass. Life tumbles forward, the mundane begins to take on clarity, not because I am necessarily wiser, but the scenery speeds past me. I want it to slow down.

The only way to do that is to stop rushing headlong into the day. Instead, I pause, stare into the sky, comb the surface of the ground, and allow curiosity to guide me.

I hunt for images —those ordinary, often practical objects and moments. I use my camera to record the mundane, the unnoticed, the invisible. As I walk out the door, I don’t search for a breathtaking landscape. I hold my breath for wonder.

The Redbud blossoms scatter the ground, waiting for the wind to send them floating on their way.

Tiny soldiers pop up on the lawn. Most of the time, I walk past or on them, and never pay much attention. As I lie in the grass to get a closer look, I see the world from a bug’s eye view.

Weird stuff crops up on decaying tree stumps and healthy trees. I notice several types of fungi and lichen. Up close, they create a mysterious landscape.

Early one morning, I almost miss the spider web among the branches and flowers, suspending the barely visible silken strands. The spider’s handiwork creates a work of art.

Do you ever notice the odd shadows that reappear each day around your house? This one surprised me and appeared only once. For days, I waited for its return, to try again to capture that one moment.

How many other magical moments have I missed?

My mundane meanderings teach me that when I stop to notice, I find more than I expect. Now, I stand open and aware of the wonders circling around me, fleeting moments waiting for attention, and then gone—forever.

Naomi Shihab Nye, writer, teacher, and poet, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, has an amazing knack for capturing the mundane in words.

Messages from Everywhere

light up our backyard.
A bird that flew five thousand miles
Is trilling six bright notes.
This bird flew over mountains and valleys
And tiny dolls and pencils
Of children I will never see.
Because this bird is singing to me,
I belong to the wide wind,
The people far away who share
The air and clouds.
Together we are looking up
Into all we do not own
And we are listening.

Wonder – Full Life

Mundane or Wonder

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”
—L. R. Knost

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And always—