You Know You’ve Been Gone
You know you’ve been gone awhile when you notice that the trees are taller. There are buildings where there weren’t before. The grocery isles are different. It’s funny the things that you notice.
The rain feels different and the quality of light is foreign.
Everything is nearly the same. But it is also so different. The surroundings may have changed, but I’ve changed most of all.
Stepping back into what feels like an old life is something that I have a great deal of experience with. This doesn’t make it any easier.
And then there are the moments that hit you. When you realize that you are in the same place that you were. How is it that slipping back into an old life could be so easy? You wonder how you could have been gone so long and just step back in.
It may not be easy, but I’m glad for the experience. I could have just continued with life as usual. I could looked back and wonder at what might have been. Now I have a new understanding of Afghanistan, Asia, the Middle East and so much more.
Even with a new understanding of so many things, the trees being taller is what draws my attention.
Miel
Thank you for sharing what you have noticed in the world. Sometimes, when we are removed from our environment, we begin to notice all that life has to offer. This would be a good practice for all us to “get-a-way” to appreciate those little things.