Out of focus

What do I not see? What do I miss? And is it important? These questions often wonder around in my head. This is, I think, why I like listening to TED talks, reading books and watching movies. They make me aware of the things that I have been missing or they give me a new way to look at the things I thought I knew.

This is probably also why I like biology so much. Listening to a birdsong biologist will make me hear the songbirds sing. A wildlife ecologist will let me see the little forest paths that badgers and foxes make. And a botanist will make me smell the flowers. These songs, paths and smells are almost always around me, but invisible when I focus on other things, usually the irrelevant thoughts in my head. On the other hand, when I zoom out it makes me aware of the life that is continuously around me. Above me and below me. Especially when I feel worried or alone. And that makes all the difference.

Focus is good, but sometimes out of focus is even better. It makes me see.