Don't forget to stop and...

Other Chit-Chat
#1

Often as the focused individuals we are, I am sure that we all tend to forget the small things.

Today, I looked up and enjoyed the clouds for more then a minute for the first time in what must be years. I have always loved the clouds. I used to watch them all the time when I was little(usually when getting driven to or from someplace) but now that I drive myself, I completely forgot about this pastime of mine.

So, that is the point of this thread. We overlook the simple things in life and need to remember what we are missing. I would like to encourage others to make a post about something simple they enjoy doing, and then add it to this ongoing list. It can be anything from bubblewrap to pong. Just tell us a bit about it before you add it to the list.

  1. Cloud watching
#2

Hopefully at different times.

The sound of running water has always had a soothing effect. It does for me at least. The roar of Niagara is calming in its awesome way, but I’m talking about the gentle roars and trickles of a stream that’s just a little more than too wide to jump over, going through rocky woods as are often found here in the northeast. Following such a river for just a few hundred yards, marveling at the different ways water can fall, the physics of gravity, and the un-engineered way that the water flows, sub-optimally, just puts me into a calm and happy mood, with my mind energized.

Life seems to be too busy these days, but every so often I’ll pass by such a river, find a place to park, and “waste” 2 hours watching water flow.

  1. Watching water flow quickly.
#3

I feel that once high school and robotics began for me I have always been rushing to complete things. Either caused by procrastination or stringent due dates. It makes me want to go back to previous grades in which I could take some time out and do things carefully and at my own relaxed pace.

  1. Take your time

P.S. Jason, I love this thread. Thank you.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Molten again.

#4

With all the running around I do I forget to enjoy the simple things as a beautiful sunrise/sunset.

  1. Watch the sun rise or fall
#5

One bit of advice I received on my first Philmont trek was to space yourself out on the trail so you can see what is out there. If you walk too close to the person in front of you all you see is their pack and butt.

  1. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.
#6

6 (we had two 4’s): Lego robots :smiley:

#7
  1. Enjoy a camp fire.

Like running water or rolling clouds, I could watch a campfire for hours. The crackle, the warmth… The slow transistions as a log burns, and the sudden shifts when a supporting log gives way. The dance of glowing coals with hues of orange and red.

Red orange colas glowing
Dancing Flames swaying about
Warms my face and soul

#8

  1. i love the smell of freshly cut grass in the morning - its so refreshing and soothing almost

  2. the night sky is amazing, especially on a nice clear night, i remember visiting my grandma’s house in Russia for several summers and being able to lay out on a blanket in the grass just looking at the stars for hours and maybe having a simple conversation with my cousins… those were the times

and i agree with Don Rotolo and IKE - the crackling fire and the sound of running water are absolutely amazing as well!

#9

I thought I’d go ahead and tally our first ten. I’m glad to see many people have taken a liking to this thread and I plan to do a few of these some time this summer.

I decided to add a nap to the list. Sleeping in is nice, but a nap is really the best. It is just so calming to know I’ve got the time. I used to take one all the time in high school, but now I find it hard to find time to lay back at all. That changes for this summer break. I am taking a nap today and I’m going to enjoy it.

  1. Cloud watching
  2. Watching water flow quickly
  3. Take your time
  4. Watch the sun rise or fall
  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.
  6. Lego robots
  7. Enjoy a camp fire
  8. The smell of freshly cut grass
  9. The night sky is amazing
  10. Take a nap

PS: Let’s start keeping a running tally.

#10

it was kinda nice not being on the drive team this year (though i was bored a lot, since i was already on it for two years) so:

11.collecting team give-a-ways

#11
  1. Cloud watching
  2. Watching water flow quickly
  3. Take your time
  4. Watch the sun rise or fall
  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.
  6. Lego robots
  7. Enjoy a camp fire
  8. The smell of freshly cut grass
  9. The night sky is amazing
  10. Take a nap
  11. collecting team give-a-ways

I am hearing-impaired (or, hard of hearing) and have been most of my life. Musical sounds have always been important to me. They can be found in music, voices, nature, everywhere and in everything. I lose the higher pitches – the sounds of children’s voices and laughter, the birdsongs, wind chimes, whispers. Those are places where beauty lies and I often wear my hearing aids so that I can simply listen. Not just to the important exchanges that occur on a daily basis in my job, volunteer work, and with family – but also to those beautiful sounds that create peace and magic and laughter.

  1. Listening simply or simply listening
#12
  1. Cloud watching
  2. Watching water flow quickly
  3. Take your time
  4. Watch the sun rise or fall
  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.
  6. Lego robots
  7. Enjoy a camp fire
  8. The smell of freshly cut grass
  9. The night sky is amazing
  10. Take a nap
  11. collecting team give-a-ways
  12. Listening simply or simply listening

To quote Henry David Thoreau in his “Walden”- “We must slow down in order to go fast.” Life goes by WAY too quickly to sweat the small stuff. Slow down is kind of describing all of these things but slow down in general. Spend time with others. Stop worrying about where you are going and just enjoy the time it takes to get there.

  1. Slow down
#13

“If you want to get where you want to go, you have to run the other way, you know” -Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There
:slight_smile:

#14
  1. thank someone.

It’s amazing what a simple, heartfelt ‘thank you’ can do for someone.

#15
  1. Find the good in people.
#16
  1. Cloud watching
  2. Watching water flow quickly
  3. Take your time
  4. Watch the sun rise or fall
  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.
  6. Lego robots
  7. Enjoy a camp fire
  8. The smell of freshly cut grass
  9. The night sky is amazing
  10. Take a nap
  11. collecting team give-a-ways
  12. Listening simply or simply listening
  13. Slow down
  14. thank someone
  15. Find the good in people

I’d say watch a fire, but that’s already been taken…

I like to slow down sometimes when I eat and just take the time to taste all the different flavors. It makes the meal better-tasting, and forces me to relax a bit.

  1. actually taste food
#17

  1. Cloud watching

  2. Watching water flow quickly

  3. Take your time

  4. Watch the sun rise or fall

  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.

  6. Lego robots

  7. Enjoy a camp fire

  8. The smell of freshly cut grass

  9. The night sky is amazing

  10. Take a nap

  11. collecting team give-a-ways

  12. Listening simply or simply listening

  13. Slow down

  14. thank someone

  15. Find the good in people

  16. actually taste food

  17. take a walk through the park with someone special

#18

  1. Cloud watching

  2. Watching water flow quickly

  3. Take your time

  4. Watch the sun rise or fall

  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.

  6. Lego robots

  7. Enjoy a camp fire

  8. The smell of freshly cut grass

  9. The night sky is amazing

  10. Take a nap

  11. collecting team give-a-ways

  12. Listening simply or simply listening

  13. Slow down

  14. thank someone

  15. Find the good in people

  16. actually taste food

  17. take a walk through the park with someone special

  18. watch the rain - bonus points for a thunderstorm

#19
  1. Cloud watching
  2. Watching water flow quickly
  3. Take your time
  4. Watch the sun rise or fall
  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.
  6. Lego robots
  7. Enjoy a camp fire
  8. The smell of freshly cut grass
  9. The night sky is amazing
  10. Take a nap
  11. collecting team give-a-ways
  12. Listening simply or simply listening
  13. Slow down
  14. thank someone
  15. Find the good in people
  16. actually taste food
  17. take a walk through the park with someone special
  18. watch the rain - bonus points for a thunderstorm*

My grandparents live on the beach. I grew up spending summers on the beach with family. This is the first summer I might not get any beach time with family, because I’m working at MIT all summer. It’s reminding me how much I miss the simple things that summer weeks at my grandparents’ house stood for during my childhood- the refreshing smell of salty sea air, chasing seagulls until they flew away, the sweetness of a vanilla ice cream cone, or best of all, listening to the calming sound of the waves crashing against the shore as it lulled you to sleep as you lay on the beach or in your bed at night.

  1. listening to the lull of waves crashing against the shore
  • Listening to rainstorms is my other favorite simple pleasure, but it was pretty close to this.
#20
  1. Cloud watching
  2. Watching water flow quickly
  3. Take your time
  4. Watch the sun rise or fall
  5. Step back from obstacles so you can see the big picture.
  6. Lego robots
  7. Enjoy a camp fire
  8. The smell of freshly cut grass
  9. The night sky is amazing
  10. Take a nap
  11. collecting team give-a-ways
  12. Listening simply or simply listening
  13. Slow down
  14. thank someone
  15. Find the good in people
  16. actually taste food
  17. take a walk through the park with someone special
  18. watch the rain - bonus points for a thunderstorm*
  19. listening to the lull of waves crashing against the shore

I’d say watch a fire, but that’s already been taken…

watch a fire again.

  1. Just chill, learn to take stuff in stride- it’ll start to come naturally.