Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Wonder ...

“One of the most terrible losses man endures in his lifetime is not even noticed by most people, much less mourned. Which is astonishing, because what we lose is in many ways one of the essential qualities that sets us apart from other creatures. I'm talking about the loss of the sense of wonder that is such an integral part of our world when we are children. However, as we grow older, that sense of wonder shrinks from cosmic to microscopic by the time we are adults. Kids say "Wow!" all the time. Opening their mouths fully, their eyes light up with genuine awe and glee. The word emanates not so much from a voice box as from an astonished soul that has once again been shown that the world is full of amazing unexpected things.
When was the last time you let fly a loud, truly heartfelt "WOW?"
Not recently I bet. Because generally speaking wonder belongs to kids, with the rare exception of falling madly in love with another person, which invariably leads to a rebirth of wonder. As adults, we are not supposed to say or feel Wow, or wonder, or even true surprise because those things make us sound goofy, ingenuous, and childlike. 
How can you run the world if you are in constant awe of it?..."



2 comments:

Vintage Jane said...

Oh, this is so true. I am sure that every day we probably feel or witness something that should make us say "wow" but we are too busy to notice. My little man has re-installed my sense of wonder though. I often see things through his eyes. M x

Jane and Lance Hattatt said...

Hello Angy:
As lives become ever more busy, it is so true that most of the world passes by in a blur and wonder never comes into the picture. Standing and staring is such a perfectly marvellous activity and a focus on tiny marvels, which children seem to be particularly adept at doing, rarely forms part of daily life. So yes, a campaign to reintroduce wonder is well overdue. This post is a lovely start!!!