Mesmerised
Tonight, as I walked towards our home, I paused for a moment and looked at the way it stood, silhouetted against the clear, starry night sky. I took in the grand old shape of the building, a converted Victorian mansion built in the 1850s, and then looked to the left to see the dark outline of the tree-lined hill that dominates the skyline where we live. Above it, the Plough and the North Star, both of which are old, personal friends of mine (but that’s another story), were looking at me as I stood there, mesmerised by the beauty of it all.
It made me think of what must be the countless things I could list if I were to try to capture every moment of my life where I have been stopped, dead in my tracks, by the wonders we come across in our lives, in all forms, from the beauty of nature and the universe, the depth and complexity of the human spirit, the wonder that is life itself, the creativity and ingenuity that pours forth from the very gifted in the world, acts of compassion, heroism, love, etc. Surely the list must be endless? I don’t know, I just know that I am personally fortunate to experience a few of these wonders and I treasure them, I hold them and keep them with me for as long as my mind will be able to hold onto them.
Walking up the steps to our home, I smiled to myself as I thought of Gina, her smile and her bright eyes mesmerise me, they always have, from the first day I saw her in a Japanese language class when she was just 17 and I was a new student at the age of 18.
Tonight, as I walked through the front door and called out her name, she came around the corner of our hall and gave me that smile.
I stopped dead in my tracks again as my heart stopped for a moment. Some things never change. I’m glad. :)
What makes you, dear reader of this blog, stop dead in your tracks?
About Ryoma
My name is Ryoma Collia-Suzuki. I'm the proud husband of wonderful artist, frightfully serious art historian and incredibly silly novelist, Gina Collia-Suzuki. This blog is a collection of mutterings and musings of mine, mostly related to what it's...
Connections
Causes Ryoma Collia-Suzuki Supports
PETA
World Wildlife Fund
Cancer Research
British Heart Foundation
Ryoma’s Favorite Books
Utamaro Revealed, Utamaro colour prints and paintings, all of Mr Hillier's other books, Pride and Predjudice, Night Watch, Candide, The Age of Reason,...
Ryoma is a fan of
One thing that does it...
...is brilliant writing that reminds me to stop and enjoy the moment. Thanks, Ryoma.
Huntington Sharp, Red Room
Hi Huntington.
Thanks for posting and thanks for such a lovely comment.
I find it humbling when anyone on Red Room would choose to respond to my blogs, let alone say wonderful things! Thanks again. :)
Nature. Especially
Nature. Especially mountains.
Hi Ellen.
Without a doubt, I am in absolute awe of nature.
As for mountains, being brought up in a large city, the most nearest to a mountain I ever got was watching TV until I was 12 years old and went on a skiing trip with my school to Italy. The first time I saw the sun rise over the mountains in the morning, I was boggle eyed and open mouthed. At one point in the day, the sun made the mountains and the snow look like they were made of solid gold. It was amazing and I still remember it vividly now. Thanks for posting!
I didn't grow up in the
I didn't grow up in the mountains, either, Ryoma. But I was always drawn to photographs of them and, when I got old enough, I moved to Colorado. Something about their massive size. . .makes me feel puny and puts so much into perspective.
But I'm missing your wife's photos of the woods near your house. Are the leaves on the trees changing color yet?
I've only ever seen photos of Colorado
It looks amazing! I imagine I would feel the same as you.
Gina has been so busy lately with an editing frenzy, so no new photos yet. The leaves haven't changed colour yet though, but when they do, you can be certain that she will have more photos to post. :) Thanks for asking!
Hope all is well with you, Ellen.
I stop dead in my tracks
I stop dead in my tracks when I realise how fortunate I am to be alive to see the beauty that surrounds me.
Thanks for posting, Mary.
Hope all is well with you. :)
I often feel the same way. Gina collapsed and almost died in 2007. The world looked very different to me after she survived. I've always felt fortunate, but never as much as the last 2-3 years.
Thanks for reading and posting. :)
True love..
that never dies. YOU have brought to life in your beautiful expression with words that took my breath away.
Thank you very much, Ryoma!
I see that smile, too!
Truly,
Catherine Nagle
Hi Catherine.
Thank you for your kind and very generous comments. As someone who is not a writer, I particularly appreciate the comments you have made. Thank you again.
Hi Ryoma, your beautiful
Hi Ryoma, your beautiful words stopped me in my tracks.
Even though I'm surrounded by rolling hills and see Mt. Diablo every day, not one moment goes by that I am not in awe. And when I see certain clouds on my walks, that either look like God was having a great day with his paintbrush or Father wind was blowing gorgeous swirls, I just stare up into the sky and smile and feel giddy, practically falling over as I continue walking.
Hi Rebbecca
I once asked if you were a poet, and here you are writing so beautifully, so poetically again! I love how you express yourself. Thank you so very much for reading and posting here, Rebbecca.
I feel the same way, giddy when I see so much beauty. Thank you for sharing. :)
Wonderful blog, Ryoma. Thanks!
For me, changing skies are 'another country'. A flight of birds in formation. Flowers, especially tiny jewel-coloured ones almost hidden in the undergrowth. And the antics of animals.
Reminds me of W. H Davies' poem, LEISURE.
WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Thanks, Rosie!
What a wonderful, wonderful poem! As a poetry heathen, I have never heard this before. I love it, this is my kind of poetry (if I had a 'kind'). Thanks for reading my blog and posting something so beautiful.
Ryoma, I tend to bump into
Ryoma,
I tend to bump into many stop dead tracks. I cherish those moments.
I can’t put depth and complexity of the human spirit into words, but when I read the post like yours, I’m relieved. It’s like looking at mountains or smelling a flower. I’m glad your wife survived.
Hi Keiko
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Thanks, also, for your kind comment about Gina. Her survival was a second chance for me to make things better and to appreciate more things in life than I did before. And, my word, aren't there a lot of things to appreciate?! Thanks for posting, Keiko. :)
The list is without end!
Ryoma, my new friend,
If I were to sit here and start a list of that which has or does stop me dead in my tracks, I would never get to click the "submit button." There is no end to that list. My little boy's smile, his eyes, his expressions. My wife's looking on as I am studying his eyes and his smile. My wife, her smile. The mountains..yes, Growing up in Vermont, and seeing the mountains was great. Recently I installed a kitchen for a Federal Law Enforcement Officer and his wife here in Colorado. Their home is at 10,500 feet. Near the peaks of a place called St. Mary's Glacier. I stopped outside on their deck at one point, I was, to say the very least, astonished at the beauty and vastness of these mountains.
Children stop me in my tracks. I love to watch a child's fascination with the new things they encounter. Deer, squirrels, birds, beavers, all of wildlife, a violent snow storm, a hurricane, the Milky Way Galaxy, the Sun in the morning, the Sun at night, the moon.....As I said...there is no end.
But today, this very day. This last day of September..(well, for me...for you it's October now)...it is YOU that has stopped me in my tracks. Your wonderful compliments and the fact that you have read nearly everything I have posted in one day, has me mesmerized x 10. I have to look down to see cloud nine. You have inspired me and I didn't even feel I needed inspiring. Thank you for that!
May you and Gina be well and be safe, wherever you may go.
Raymond
Hi Raymond
Thanks for stopping by! Actually, I have read everything'you have posted now. It has been a joy and absolutely fascinating. What a rich life you ahve lived and continue to live. Your strength of character shines through as you face each new challenge life has put before you. Amazing. It's been a pleasure to egt to know you a little through your blogs. Thank you for giving people the opportunity to do that. I look forward to reading your blogs from now on. Again, thanks for taking the time to post here.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful day.
Ryoma