Thought Paper #2

     It’s almost humorous how completely absentminded we are so much of the time. After living somewhere for a grand total of fifteen years or even after walking the same sidewalk block a dozen times, we think we know an area like the back of our hand. However, the majority of us are guilty of being so removed from what is going on around us that we fail to notice many of the details that make life so exciting and beautiful. I’ve come to terms with the fact that you can always find something new in even the most familiar of places. Next time you walk the same path to the cafeteria that you’ve done over a hundred times, I encourage you to peel your eyes of the sidewalk, remove your headphones, and take special note of all that surrounds you. I am almost certain that your eyes will wander to sights you’ve never noticed before; a small piece of graffiti on the rim of a trashcan or maybe a flyer for a trip to Great America pasted in the window of Phelan Hall.  

     Even though I can’t exactly consider myself a long-term resident of the area, I can say that I’ve done my fair share of exploring around thus far. One of the areas that I have found the most fascinating is the well-known Haight Street district. Sometimes I take walks by myself, other times with friends. Whether I’m out and about on my own or with a group of chattering friends, there is always something that I seem to notice that I’ve never seen before.

     Last Monday, Morgan and I walked about the city blocks surrounding the campus area, and we came across something new to our eyes. We noticed a beautiful mural along the side of a house. Even though it covered the entire side of the house and I had surely walked down that same block at least a dozen times, I had somehow failed to notice it before.

     Upon looking closer at this mural, the details became more apparent and I began to really appreciate the unbelievable work that must of have been put into it. The artist, David Wills, did an incredible job at using colors to focus the attention of a passerby on the white bird in the middle and then out to the scenery that surrounds it. This mural was probably created within the last fifteen years due to the condition and vibrancy that it withholds. It seems as though this particular mural reaches out to all generations. The beauty and simplicity can be appreciated and grasped by any and all ages. I don’t feel as though the artist is targeting a specific audience, but rather all common people that pass by the house.

     This mural definitely brings a remote, artistic view into the neighborhood in which it lies. A hundred years ago, the same house was most likely still beautiful, but it was certainly no more unique than the thousands of other homes standing in San Francisco. The mural adds an individual twist to the house that is not seen in many of the surrounding areas.

     My hope is that I learn to appreciate all of the little things in life that many other people pass by without ever noticing. I don’t want to be one of those absentminded, oblivious human beings that seem to be all too common in today’s society. I want to read the landscape wherever I go, to really see what lies before me and not just take a glance. I want to notice a massive mural on the side of a house the first time I pass it and not have to wait twelve times before my eyes are aware of the beauty that encompasses my every day life.