SENSING THE WORLD

So you cannot hear the sounds of the world?

Then, hush, my child, for you will never hear until you learn to listen. Be quiet; open your inner ear, and all the joyous sounds of the world will echo in your heart - children's laughter, the bird's song, bells of hope and faith.

So you cannot see the beauty of the world? Then open your eyes, my child, for you will never perceive the world unless you are willing to see. Look at faces on the subway; establish eye contact with the people you talk to; find the centre of a park and open you eyes to the wonders of a snowy wood.

So you cannot smell the wonder of the world? Then stop my child, for you will never recognize the scent of life while you are rushing. How long is it since you smelled a new baby, baked bread, breathed in the heady aroma of a pine tree, gasped at the freshness of the wind blowing in from a lake?

So you cannot taste the joy of the world? Then work, my child, for there is no joy without effort. Strive for excellence in what you do; and quality in what you feel; boredom withers in the face of activity.

So you cannot feel the texture of the world? Then open yourself, my child, for you canot touch unless you are will to be touched. Take a hand; and give your own, in that clasp, there is the beginning of communication, friendship and love.

JOAN SUTTON

Don says: I have admired Ms. Sutton for years. Though we have not met I feel like I know her. Her writing is sheer love, words coming from the heart and tugging on your love of life. I wrote elswhere of an early morning AA meeting in downtown Toronto that I attended in the early stages of the withdrawal of my alcohol addiction, The speaker, a weathered and worn out alcoholic got up and haltingly spoke about the fact that since he had quit drinking, he could now hear the sound of the birds! I knew where he was coming from. Our addiction is all encompassing, draining all life from us, as we live from bottle to bottle. Although this piece was not written specifically for alcohol addicts, I think it is a good place to begin thinking outside of the bottle. We take our surroundings for granted. We never really hear anything but the clink of glasses and the smoky atmosphere of our favorite pub. Wake up and smell the roses! Life is beautiful and challenging if you break away from your addiction that has only served to shelter you from your fears. Keep drinking and you only will sink lower. If you face life and all it can give, you will become joyous and Happy!