When you walk through a park, do you ever stop to smell or look at a beautiful flower? When you are out at night, do you appreciate a starry sky? After walking through a chaotic crowd, do you enjoy your short moments of silence? Everyday is full of commotion and craziness, that’s why I believe in the little things.
I’ve heard there is a team that people have given our culture today that describes our behavior perfectly. That term is “McDonaldization.” People today behave exactly as if they were at a McDonald’s restaurant. People find little time for family dinners and instead resort to drive thru that provides quick service and hot foot that is eaten on the go as we rush from place to place. Since we are always on the go, our surroundings have adapted to us, as weird a thought that might be. We used to live in a home-town, relaxing atmosphere, but now we are in constant movement and activity. It’s nice to remember the little things like the simple pleasure of driving, the interactions happening between you and your passengers and one of my favorites, singing in the car.
Considering how fast paced our society is, it is amazing we get time for ourselves throughout the day. During this period of my life, as I prepare to go to college, I am constantly bombarded with applications, filling out scholarships or doing my school work. It’s nice to sit back, look around and enjoy my surroundings. It’s the little things like the pictures around my room, hearing my parents laughing in the other room, or listening to music playing in the background that makes me smile and remember how lucky I am to have the things I do.
I’ve really started to notice the little things even more now that I am a volleyball coach for a 12 year-old team. These little girls are full of life and laughter. I’ll be honest, they aren’t very skilled now, but that doesn’t seem to bother them or affect their positive attitude. In our most recent tournament, we only won one game, but the girls were so enthusiastic and pumped even in losing, that you could tell winning wasn’t their sole purpose for playing. They just wanted to play the game they love, and to have fun with their friends. Their attitudes spread even to their parents, who were ecstatic when they did the littlest thing right. After getting the ball over the net, making a simple pass, or giving a good effort at a spike, you could hear a flood of roars coming from the girls, the parents, and me! Being able to experience this has really turned my outlook on life from focusing on winning and the “bigger picture” to really focusing on the little moments that make the best memories.
Now as I walk through life, my focus is on appreciating the little things and embracing the smaller things around me that people take for granted.