We all need rejuvenation.

I've taken life for granted in my immediate neighborhood here in Forest Lake, Minnesota. I haven't been as observant and as curious as I should be. I came to this realization when I spent autumn and winter in Italy, where I closely observed just about everything. The people. The environment. I focused on little things. On details. And I found meaning in so many things. Often merely by asking questions. Especially questions of my dear sweet Italian true love. But I don't always do that in the neighborhood where I live. Back home. I hadn't gotten to know my neighbors the way I should know them. Like I began to know Italians. But now I'm on a mission. A mission of discovery. I'm beginning to look at life in my neighborhood the same curious way I look at life when I'm in a foreign land. I'm becoming more inquisitive. I'm asking questions. I'm learning. And writing about it. In my blog. And I'm becoming involved with the neighbors. I have such great opportunities. Because I speak the language. English. I am under no restrictions. I can ask questions any time I feel like it. I can probe. I can get my neighbors to talk. To reveal themselves. There are no barriers here. And I'm very much aware of it. And I am taking advantage of the situation. I am not only becoming more alive. But I am also making some of my neighbors more alive. More responsive. It's a wonderful feeling. I have renewed energy. I'm looking at my old stomping grounds with a fresh and tantalizing perspective. The same thing could happen to almost anyone, I suppose. By just getting away for a while. When one returns, one may find he/she has a wonderful fresh outlook on life. Just what we all need. Rejuvenation. --Jim Broede