Clouds: Old Anti-Depression Drug

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Being a baby boomer I did not grow up with toys to keep me occupied or out of my Mother’s hair. I was left to my own devices, devices I had to create to occupy my time, keep me in shouting distance and most of all out of trouble. The later I did not do well, but I found ways to pass my time, want to know what my favorite was?

I spent many a sunny day lying in the fields of the family farm just staring at clouds. Yes, I was a cloud watcher, a maker of objects from the white fluffy water molecules and I spent hours doing it. The picture show always amazed me and it was there anytime I chose to watch.
Yesterday as I drove home from some errands I found myself sitting at an exceptionally long red light. I was enjoying my favorite childhood past time when a question crept into my mind. Are the clouds really making all those images or are the clouds just the image in a mirror to our soul?

Children have no inhibitions or preconceived notions so childhood delights are what you would expect them to see. As adults we have the experience of life’s trials and tribulations that seem to blur our images and sway us. We learn not to look anymore, what a shame.

As I sat at the light, not thinking and letting myself go to once again enjoy the picture show, images began to come into view. I saw a mother holding her child, I saw a boy playing with his dog, I saw a waterfall and I saw the sunbeams shinning through those images I had created. I began to feel serenity flood in.

Just then something to my left caught my eye. As I turned left and the image became clearer my heart grew sad. Here sat a mother and child, the child playing some electronic game looking more like a robot than a child. The mother, head hung down, looking like not one good thing had happened to her today and she was growing older by the second.

What a pity, if only she could have seen the picture show, if only she had looked up. Look up I shouted in my heart, it would seem better if you do. But the light had turned green and off she went.

Thinking of her and not knowing you I encourage you to look up. The next time you are stuck at a light, don’t cruse it. Don’t stress over the fact you are late, just look up. Enjoy the show.



Going UP