It should come as no surprise that I’ve been an advocate of going outside, of opening that front door and taking a walk, breathing the fresh air and enjoying the sunshine. I’ve written about this before, but last week I was reminded of it because I spent a good part of the week inside. The routine was simple and boring.

1. wake up

2. make breakfast

3. read

4. write

5. wash laundry

6. wash dishes

7. repeat

It was one of those weeks when there was no reason to leave the house. I spent days inside. The only reminders I had of the weather were my windows. They told me the hour and they told me when the sun would appear. I was content with the seclusion and what little my windows revealed.

Then an opportunity arose, an errand that involved opening the front door. I left the next day and I was reminded of how the world beyond my windows could remind one of its splendor. I only needed to give it the opportunity.

Coffee. This was the reason for leaving the house. I went to get a cup of coffee and I sat at the coffee house, reading, writing, and listening. 

I watched as people came and went. I let the sun slip over the patio tables until one of its slivers began to warm my face. The smell of a delivery truck reminded me of my time living in Australia, and the sound of traffic made me grateful that today I wasn’t a part of its gridlock.

A group of children came to the coffee house. They were chaperoned by several adults. One of the girls kept running away only to be chased by a male chaperone. They were playing a cat and mouse game. The young girl took delight in playing the role of mouse as she giggled in her pursuit.

The contrast between being indoors for days then going outside was dramatic. I don’t think I would have noticed all the details if I hadn’t had that week of seclusion; if that contrast wasn’t there. 

The more I noticed the small events taking shape around me, the more I was reminded of Marcel Proust and his novel, In Search of Lost Time. An entire novel could be written on the details of a coffee shop with the theme clearly rooted in felicity.