Category: adventure

Posted in adventure, Awe, Details in Writing, Mindfulness, Paying Attention

3 Simple, No-cost Ways to Pay Attention

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

Is This You?

Are you the last one in a group out for a walk to notice what’s happening in the environment? Are you the one who says, “What? Where is it? I don’t see it?”

  • Do you want to be the one who notices?
  • Do you wish to immerse yourself in the inexplicable?
  • Do you yearn to find the mysterious and clandestine elements in life?
  • Do you ache for the freedom of release and relaxation from feeling awe?
  • Do you believe you can experience the “ah!” in nature or the “awe?”

Paying attention is a habit, not some sophisticated study, though it can be.

Bird Watching Was My Starting Point

Once upon a time, I was one of those who wanted to be adept at experiencing the ineffable.

I took up birding, purchasing the Golden Guide to Field Identification: Birds of North America. Sure, I knew my birds, a robin, cardinal, and blue jay. I was familiar with the basic sparrow that was everywhere. But I did NOT know how many variations of sparrows there were until I started studying the book. Oh my goodness!

My First Identification

I observed a small grey bird with a white, round belly, which I’d never seen before. (Or had I seen it but not noticed it?) I saw it pecking in the snow in Wisconsin where I lived at the time. It looked like its belly had been dusted by snow. So in my mind I called it a snow bird, and so it is called by other birders. But in fact, it was one of the many kinds of sparrows listed in the bird book, called the slate-colored junco. Never had I heard of a junco.

A Friend Tried to Dissuade Me

A friend of mine suggested I study vegetation, flowers, trees, wildflowers – anything that didn’t move like birds that flit from limb to limb. She said, “Why don’t you decide to identify things that sit still, instead of birds that you have to follow around in a screen of leaves? Learn the skill of observation first?”

I was determined. “I’m not interested in those, but I’m in love with birds.” She shook her head and threw up her hands. “Okay. Start the hard way.” We laughed together.

Your 3-Step Guide to Paying Attention

For those of you who want to build observation skillls to pay attention, I suggest 3 simple ways. They come from a song most of us have heard before. Three ideas from a 1990s British TV children’s show, Come Outside, along with the theme song by the same name. Here, I want us to use these unpretentious words to the theme of the kids’ show:

Look up, look down, look all around.

STEP 1: LOOK UP

Yesterday, my three friends and their four dogs including Murphy and me had a brief 2–3-minute walk in a shower.  I looked up to see a rainbow in full display. Not horizon to horizon, but the vivid color spectrum grew out of a cloud. It sailed across the blue expanse and ended abruptly mid-sky. 

Jim Putnam's photo during an evening walk in the rain
Pay attention by looking up to find treasures in the sky.  

Layla said, “Make a wish. A rainbow is good luck. Look at the end of the rainbow and make a wish.” For me it was more of a prayer than a wish, “Make my husband Lynn stronger after cancer radiation.”

None of us, except Jim had a phone. “Jim, take a photo.” I was thinking of another post on paying attention when I repeated the request he had not heard. “Jim, please, take a picture. Send it to me.”

 

STEP 2: LOOK DOWN

Also yesterday morning as I walked Murphy home, I sensed movement in the grass. I looked down to two cicada killer wasps mating. They were end to end, vibrating as if they were enjoying it. I wondered whether without the emotions of a human, how they experienced the act of mating. One of the two had its face burrowed beneath the grass. Its stinger end attached to the other one hovering over the top of the grass. (After a web search, I learned the female has the stinger and the male does not.)

It was a moment for me. Was I interrupting? No, they did not notice me taking pictures of their intimate act. Was I rude to take their picture? I don’t know. Nonetheless,  it did make my day to get to see nature at work, at play, creating life!

STEP 3: LOOK ALL AROUND

Again yesterday I lounged on the porch loveseat, where I could feel the breeze tickle my skin. The golfers on the course beyond my yard probably gawked or sneaked a peek at me scrolling on my phone, listening to a course online, reading a book, and of course napping. (I’m recovering from surgery and 2 procedures in less than 6 weeks – nothing life threatening, merely an annoyance.) All this for the healing process.

I don’t usually take this kind of time each day to sit on the porch and watch the geese and the squirrels coexist. Sniff the freshly cut grass or listen to the birds and the chimes clash. I do however notice the black cat slink by in its ritualistic daily walk about. When I look all around and take in the world with all my senses, there’s a relaxed sense that neutralizes the anxiety of the news and life.

See? Simple. No-cost. Sing the song as you start out to work, to pick up the kids, to garden, clean the house, or go out with friends. You can apply this song to any part of your life, travels, or writing. These 3 steps can enrich our lives in so many ways. 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

How do you pay attention to the world around you? How does nature speak to you? While you go about your day, what shows itself to you? I, along with many others, I presume would like to know. Share your stories, your thoughts with us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please check out my books on Amazon. After reading one, please leave a review. Thanks!

Song of Herself, a story of a young horsewoman in 1906 who travels to India to sell her uncles horses. It is not the journey she expected or wanted but gave her the chance to grow into her own skin.

At Home in the World: Travel Stories of Growing Up and Growing Away, my coming-of-age travel memoir that covers ages 10 to 27. It is the story of my church and my mom, wise beyond her own experience and ahead of her time, who encourages and prepares me for international travel opportunities. I become a world citizen  at a very young age and later in life leave home and the church that provided me growth opportunities.

Both stories hold that travel can offer chances that help us build personal, psychological agency by which we become the author of our own lives.

 

 

Murphy out for a walk
Posted in adventure, Awe, Metaphors, Mindfulness, paying attention

When Awe Walks In, Anxiety Walks Out

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

MY EXPERIENCE OF AWE

Scrolling

I didn’t plan for it. Just out for a walk, pacing the same loop with Murphy, my dog. Usually, I take my phone and scroll the morning news. With my head down I thumb through what’s happened in the world since I went to bed.

Multi-tasking

Besides the news, my mind travels in more than one direction, all the while, considering what’s on my calendar and what I can do with the time left. I carry my worries, my what-ifs—until something makes me stop.

In an instant, it may be silent, loud, or dramatic.

4 Examples of Awe

  1. One, a chameleon darts from brownish gravel up the stalk of a green plant, changing colors as it moves into new territory. Flexibility and openness are critical as we find ourselves in new surroundings. The chameleon changes its’ colors, not its essence. We don’t change the creatures we are.
  2. A different day, a bossy goose chases another one for who knows what reason. It’s wings widen in defiance of the other one, which reminds me we can let others into our circle of friends, even if we’re not comfortable at first. We might learn something or make a new friend.
  3. On another day, the wind shifts, a storm is on the way. I check the clouds and see an figure, whether a phoenix, a dog lopping, or a sword surfing across the sky. My imagination creates what the clouds provide. And intentionally, we too can assert and use our own creativity for the enjoyment of others.
  4. And still again, the squawk of a Blue Jay calls to one another in flight. My first thought is that it reminds me I will have a productive writing day. A second thought comes: or does it challenge me to write productively that day. What’s the metaphor for me?

The Result of a Moment of Awe

Regardless of the moment, it draws my attention from the anxieties of our times that are speaking to me on my phone. In that moment when awe marches into my world, anxiety slinks out.

RESEARCH SUPPORTS MY EXPERIENCE

In recent years, research sheds light on the topic of awe. Dacher Keltner in his book, AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life (2023), tells us that the human mind treats social threats as an invading pathogen. Things like chronic stress, loneliness, and/or being the target of prejudice can elevate inflammation or cytokine levels in our bodies.

On the other hand, awe offers a larger context for our lives, gives us metaphors to reconsider how we view our lives, and heightens our sense of being  loved and supported by a connected community.

Researchers theorized that everyday awe could lower our bodies’ inflammation. They gathered physical measures of inflammation against people’s experience of positive emotions, like pride, amusement, awe, and others.

The Result

Basically, of all the positive emotions studied, the only predictor to lower inflammation was awe.

“Awe occurs in a realm separate from the mundane world of materialism, money, acquisition, and status signaling—a realm beyond the profane that many call the sacred.” (Keltner, p. 19)

Whether we look for awe or get captured by it, it can transform our day, our outlook, and our physiology. And regardless if we are travelers, writers, or armchair readers, we can use a dose of awe that comes from paying attention to the life around us.

How About YOU? 

Also referenced in Keltner’s book is another research project of daily diary writing, in which researchers learned most study participants encountered awe 2-3 times a week. That’s about every other day. Why not several times a day? I must admit, I fall into the 2-3 times a week, as well.

When, where, and how do you experience awe in your life?

Posted in adventure, Driving Trips, Local or Hometown Travel, Travel

Traveling the Texas Hill Country to Enchanted Rock

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones


Is it the Great Wall of China? I don’t think so!


Is it the fences of the Cotswolds in England? I don’t think so!

This rock wall intrigued me on our drive through the Texas Hill Country. We enjoyed wind on our faces in my husband Lynn’s Mazda Miata convertible. Lynn has walked part of the Great Wall of China that was built over centuries. Stone or soil mixed with gravel and pressed between two boards to dry created the wall. It separated countries, enemies, and trade routes.

I’ve visited the Cotswolds of England and found their honey-colored stone fences stacked without any sort of cement fascinating. Both countries built walls and fences out of rocks that surfaced from the soil. Both countries used naturally available materials. Their walls, fences, structures separated countries, property and livestock.

This rock fence on our ride was about 2 feet wide, 3-4 feet tall, and a mile or more long. I suspect it merely divided the property from the road as any typical fence would. It was one of a kind to my eye.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF FENCE

We smelled the wafting scent of cedar trees being burned from landscapes overrun by cedar trees because of a recent 3-6 inch rain that broke a drought somewhat and lifted burn bans. Historically cedar trees were crafted into roof shingles in this area. No longer used in shingles, the tree can still be stripped and set as fence posts side-by-side here or with barbed wire. An invasive species, cedar trees slurp up too much water from our soil and aquifer, leaving the area drier than ever and so must be cut from ranch land and burned. A burden, cost, and nuisance to land owners.

BIRDS AND ANIMALS

The thrill of the day however was spotting a roadrunner fly to a low-hung tree branch and roost there AND then spying two zebras close to the fence line next to the road on an exotic animal hunting ranch. Neither of which I could capture in a photo.

ROCK

Our destination was Enchanted Rock, located 21 miles north of Fredericksburg, a German community and shopping haven, and 26 miles south of Llano, Texas, the deer capital of the state. A granite rock erupts in the ground with little to no vegetation. The State park allows for picnicking, climbing, geocaching, nature studies, birding, and stargazing. Be sure to bring your protein snacks and plenty of water. Wear athletic shoes or hiking boots for climbing. A climb can be achieved in half a day. Beware of rattlesnakes!

When you drive TX-16 S and Ranch Rd 965 you understand why it is called the Texas Hill Country. Broad panoramas, rock walls, and lush green hills welcome you to the Texas Hill Country.

Posted in adventure, journal writing, Life-narrative, paying attention, Writing Classes, Writing Retreats, Writing Workshops

REACHING FOR AWE DURING THE APRIL 8 ECLIPSE

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

Would you like to enrich your experience of the total Solar Eclipse coming April 8? Can you envision the setting where you will wait for the eclipse? With whom will you share this once-in-a-lifetime (for most of us) phenomenon? How do we prepare to have a deeper, richer experience of the total eclipse? Have you set an intention for those four-plus minutes of total darkness, so you can allow the wonder and enchantment to wash over you?

That’s what we will explore this Saturday, March 16, from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library here in Kerrville. Bring pen and paper or your journal to write with.

Awe occurs in a realm separate from the mundane world of material money, acquisition, and status symbols — a realm beyond the profane that many call the sacred. (Dacher Keltner in his 2023 book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform your Life)

I will be your facilitator. I propose a variety of writing prompts for you to discover the answer to some of these questions above. In addition, I offer hands-on guidance in what I call “stream-of-consciousness” journal writing. This will allow you to access those answers quickly and successfully. We will share our answers, gather ideas from each other, and leave with an intentional and mindful plan of action.

…there exists a magic crackle, a sacred thrum, found at the threshold between two states. Liminal space has its own tantalizing quality to it. … I believe there is more–untapped, unseen. I believe relentless reality breaks us, and magical wonder can make us whole. (Monica C. Parker in her 2023 book, The Power of Wonder: The Extraordinary Emotion That Will Change the Way You Live, Learn, and Lead)

You can let the eclipse be a “been-there-done-that” experience or you can enhance this grand encounter with nature by thoughtfully considering how to prepare yourself to experience it. Let’s do it together. There will be handouts. Bring pen and paper to write with you.

Posted in adventure, Memoir writing, Travel, Travel Writing, Women traveling

Getting Lost in Dublin

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

The Idea of Getting Lost

Getting lost can be a result of traveling into unknown territory. For many travelers and especially travel writers that’s the point of travel—to get lost, find ourselves in unlikely places, and discover something we could not have imagined just hours before. It’s the thrill of the travel writer, even if it is intimidating or scary.

A Travelers’ Tale of Getting Lost

In Ireland years ago, my mom joined my husband and I at his international conference in Dublin. Typically, the host university would have a robust itinerary for spouses and guests. But not this time.

One day Mother and I took the bus from our guesthouse to central downtown. I don’t even recall what we hoped to see or do. But we had shopped (my mother’s favorite hobby), bought a refreshing drink in the midafternoon and decided it was time to head back.

Map Reading Got us Nowhere

Our map did not match where we were. It didn’t resemble where we wanted to go. We walked and walked to find a street location that would give us our bearings to no avail. We laughed at our combined ineptitude. We walked until we were tired. We laughed at a city that seemed incomprehensible to either of us. We walked until we were parched again.

Finally, we waited in the heat of the afternoon, feet swelling at a bus stop.  

A stern bus driver wanted us on or off the bus. I was taking up time out of his route to step onto the bus to ask directions while mom stood on the street. Exasperated, he demanded, “Both of you. Get on. I’ll take you to the right bus stop.”

The Kindness of Strangers

In the end, he took time out of his route (and possibly at the ire of passengers) to get us to the correct bus stop, headed in the right direction back to our guesthouse, almost late for dinner with my husband.

We giggled at how this intimidating driver had given in to two damsels in distress. The kindness of a stranger was our hero in this story. The afternoon in Dublin was mom’s and my most memorable moment of a two-week Ireland trip.

A “Getting Lost” Story in Song of Herself.

You can find my novel, Song of Herself, on Amazon. In the novel you can find specifically the story of the protagonist, Fiona, getting lost in India and how she found her way to shop for a salwar kameez, on pages 166-168.

I believe, you will enjoy the adventure story of one young horsewoman’s journey to India alone to sell her uncle’s quarter horses. What she discovers along the way is the kindness of others and her own resilience to suffer the same obstacles she faced at home and due to her ability to taken the reins of her life succeed in overcoming those challenges.