Walking uphill in downtown Seattle, sweating in spite of a cold winter morning, my mind was lost in the music of my ear buds and anticipatory stress over a high stakes meeting. I can honestly say I had become one of those corporate ferry commuters with zombie eyes looking through passersby rather than taxing my overused smile lines.
For those who hail from the 1970’s, both Starbucks and Sesame Street are likely formative foundations. Who was your favorite character on Sesame Street? For me it was the always-compassionate Susan, and my strongest memory centers on her singing a song well known to Sesame Street fans called, “Nearly Missed.” Hearing it again 30 years later has more meaning than when I last remember playing my vinyl album while babysitting as a pre-teen.
As I buried my nose into the sweet smell of fabric softener inside my jacket lining to avoid the cigarette smoke of the man in front of me, my self-absorbed walk of disconnectedness was immediately grounded…literally! There amidst a wet cigarette butt, blackened gum skeletons, and the filthy concrete of urban life, lay an element of shocking beauty. A perfectly outlined leaf was stamped into the concrete, daily trampled by commuters and tourists and homeless souls seeking the comfort of home in a recessed doorway. The leaf image gave me pause, and may it do the same for you. Some days we need to look up, but some days we need to look down.
Today I invite you to take a few minutes to enjoy this vintage song from the Susan of your youth, whoever she may be. May the lyrics and the irony of hidden treasures on a mundane day touch your heart in new ways. In a complex world, this “retro” song reminds us to take a moment to stop and smell the roses. You’ll be glad you did.
“Nearly Missed” can be found at https://youtu.be/bp7QpRC2_ow. Sesame Street all rights reserved.
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