Do I brag and tell you all about my lovely trip to Santa Barbara where I visited beautiful hotels, had a relaxing spa day, and indulged in overwhelming calories on flaky crusted appetizers, a goat cheese stuffed ravioli, and wine tasting? I am a lucky woman. I live in gorgeous Southern California, only to be able to visit more gorgeeeeeouus cities merely a few hours away. As most are still feeling the affects of cold weather and barely able to differentiate a branch from one tree to the next, I got to “get away” from the beaches and 75 degree weather and drive up The Coast and indulge in the abundance of evergreens that line the hills and coastline, flowering trees everywhere you turn, and lush green countryside surrounding me. As a gardener I was tickled by the dramatic cascading of the the wisteria, over abundant blooms of the azaleas, and first buds of the gardenias which were just beginning to peek through to share their musky, rich aroma. So, bragging? Maybe just a little. But what did I take away to impart to my audience this rainy Monday morning?

I got nothing!

Okay, for any of my followers, and most assuredly people who know me…I always have something say. So, I shall not walk away without a little something, even if it is not some inspirational, deep meaning concept. (Okay, I may be thinking my past writings are more than they are, but indulge me a little.)

I am going to talk about pot. Yes, you read that correctly. Good old pot, marajuana, ganji, weed…or whatever the young’ins might be calling it today. I, myself, do not indulge in the hallucinogenic, nor do I think it is a good thing for the general public. (I am not here to debate the value.) But, my prejudice may have made me miss out on something beautiful. No! I did not get high and “see” the world in a whole new light. I might have come across a few people willing to sell it to me this weekend, had I asked. But as a responsible human being that feels that “drugs” are not good for society I might have been a little quick to judge something that had actually taught me a good lesson about life and what I might miss if I do not allow my world to be broadened.

I was in a store this weekend that had a “shop” downstairs. As my friend was browsing the clothes, I found my way down the black carpeted stairs to a dungeon like room. A nice young man, his curly hair wildly falling beyond his shoulders over his wrinkled t-shirt, generously greeted me as I ascended into the cavernous space. I questioned my myself as I found myself not retreating. My curiosity was more demanding than my fear.  To my surprise, the room was surrounded in glass display cases. It was an exhibit, or see it seemed. The display cases held a vast collection of the most beautifully hand-blown glass pieces of art I have seen in a long time. The shapes were truly inspirational from dragons, sea life, animals, and creatures unknown, to beautiful flowers and fairies, and many other amazing, aesthetic shapes. The colors were eye catching and the intricate designs were awe -inspiring. Working with glass and creating art is difficult, time consuming, and detailed. But when someone can do it right, it is truly incredible. This room housed some of the finest pieces of glassware I have seen in a long time. I literally was amazed at what I was viewing: A room full of creative bongs!

So, I browsed and enjoyed the art…even though I could not condone their use. For the skill, beauty and creativity was worth my admiration. I would have missed it had I not put aside my prejudices and seen beyond the purpose. I was looking at true art.

So, what is my takeaway: Sometimes, if we step outside ourselves, and look beyond the obvious, we may be awe-inspired. Tweet this

Have a wonderful week. Thanks for reading!