Every now and then, something will catch your eye. Something small, typical, or often overlooked catches your attention and you just have to stop and look. It can be any of the senses, not just sight, that ceases our endless train of thought and fully encapsulates us.

I have been thinking about this topic lately, that thing that makes you stop while everyone walks past, almost like that scene in Wall-E, when he accidentally breaks a girl’s hologram screen and she sees the space ship she has been living on for the first time. Part of me feels like noticing the little things is what makes us human. We have the luxury to focus not only on the features of survival, but also the beauty of the world throughout any place in life we are in. In a thrilling movie, the sunrise is the symbol of hope, and the survivors can often be seen starting into the golden light of early morning before the credits start to roll.

What is it that makes you stop in your tracks? Here are some of mine:

Rollie Polies

They are also known as Pill Bugs. Did you know they are the only land crustaceans? Whenever I see one, I almost always bend over and watch it crawl past. I also don’t mind picking them up and watching them uncurl from their ball and explore my hand. They are so cute to me.

Lady Bugs

I will stop and look at a lady bug, especially if it is yellow or orange. I will watch it similarly to the Rollie Polie, but I usually don’t pick a lady bug up. They tend to just land on me from flight.

Dropped Change

I will stop at anything silvery, shiny, and round. I have never been above picking up dropped change, and I will always pick up a lucky penny. I still have a piggy bank that I was given at birth, and any change I find will make its way there.

Graffiti

This one is usually stopped at with a head tilt, as I try and make out the letters of the artist’s tag. Some look like pure scribbles to me, but I do try and decipher the cool looking ones. Another emotion I experience while looking at graffiti is wonder. What time of day or night were they able to accomplish this, and depending on the location, how in the world did they manage to spray paint that area?

Light on a Body of Water

Lakes, rivers, and I have some amazing staring contests. Nothing stops me in my Tracks quite like the sparkles of sunlight on water, especially rippling or flowing water. When I was in Destin this past summer, I spent one morning alone on the beach before anyone else had awoken. I watched the sun rise and change the way the waves looked from minute to minute, and the sea turtles would pop their heads out of the water and swim back and forth along the rock buffer.

The Smell of Fallen Leaves

Stepping outside once the leaves have fallen and the air is crisp wouldn’t be complete without stopping to take in a deep breath. If you live in a heavily forested area like I do, there is a good chance that you will smell a softly sweet scent in the air from the dying leaves. It is like nature’s perfume, it makes me want to go and hug a tree!

Brick Roads

The age of a location can have an impact on this, but when I see an old brick road, I stop in my tracks. There were a few of these in Boston and all I could think about was all of the people that stepped or drove on the bricks and how many years it has been stepped on and their lives and here I am on the same road adding to the layers of history. A similar experience happened in St. Louis way back when I visited at 14 years old. I never see original brick roads, so I get hit very existentially every time I encounter one. I don’t really know why!

Ozark Sunrises/Sunsets

My favorite thing about living in the Ozark Mountains are the sunrises and sunsets. In the mornings, my entire room is lit up orange, and for some moments outside, it is almost misty in color and the specks of nature can be seen in the air like little fairies before the sun rises an inch more and they’re invisible again.

During the sunset, the ridges of our mountains actually appear to be purple. Something about that always compels me to take out my phone and take a picture. Are there better sunsets elsewhere? Of course, but the ones in my home are extra special to me.

The Smell of Honeysuckle

If I am minding my business and happen to smell Honeysuckle, I am turning my head to see where it is coming from. I would pick out the stems and suck the nectar out of them as a child, and although it is a smell that is not pleasant to some, it is one that I thoroughly enjoy.

The Sound of High Heels

While I feel uncomfortable clicking and clacking in quiet spaces, I have always loved the sound of high heels. I think this stems from playing in my mom’s closet as a kid and clacking around the house, pretending to be a model or fancy business woman. I will always be aware of the sound, even if I try not to stare. It has never been an annoying sound to me, it is actually one I wish I heard more! I wish I were confident enough to wear heels regularly, but I feel that it is increasingly uncommon to wear them so I would make others take notice, and I am already shy in public.

Conclusion

Those were ten things that stop me in my tracks. I am sure there are a lot more that I am missing, but those are the ones that came to mind first. Do you agree with any of these, or are some of them things that you don’t really care to stop for? Let me know, and I will see you all tomorrow!