LOOKING AT THINGS A LONG TIME

John Cuno

Out there in the woods and along the road are all sorts of books, anthologies of trees, biographies of brooks, poems by bees; novels in glaciers. Just look around carefully, think about whatever your gaze rests on. Notice that turn in the road to which quite a few pages could be given.

Consider your own story, how you arrived where you are. Think: what might be called a dire imposition on your life actually brought you down this path to where we meet in a sparkling friendship. Explain that.

You've traveled roads you never would have chosen and they've taken you nearer to what you deeply are even though there were many strange stopping places along the way. Don't look back.

There are turns we take away from the familiar that would surprise a lot of people, until we find ourselves finally again on the old street gladly lending a hand or telling a story. We see our own names written in other lives and find out each day how to care more. We discover that people listen better when we're often silent and pondering, looking at things a long time.