FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER
Everything can be a Shiny Metal Object
By Jerry Francis
Purchase the book in its entirety at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096LS1V3F.
100% of proceeds go to Council 12710 to support our numerous causes.
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DEDICATION:
I dedicate this book to the good men in our local Knights of Columbus Council who, with generous hearts, continue to give of themselves to those who need a little extra help. These selfless men have inspired me to dig deep into my own story. They make me feel part of the continuing burning flame of their journeys by humbly lifting up even total strangers.
February - Shiny Metal Objects
February - Shiny Metal Objects
I am one of those people that are attracted to “shiny metal objects.” For me, it is a metaphor that I have come to perceive that almost everything can momentarily stop me in my track to admire its beauty. Using the idiom “forest for the tree,” I usually only see the entire forest. If you put a single tree in front of me, I will not see its details. When a tree suddenly becomes apparent, I pay attention because something about that tree (shiny object) will bring me joy.
When I need to reduce my stress levels or if I want to let go, I have learned to prepare myself to be ready to see detail. In other words, I become prepared to receive the gift of beauty with joy. This becomes quite obvious when I go on hikes into a forest. Certain conditions help focus my attention and let me recognize that I will lose my forest view and see a shiny metal object. In a hike like this, I become excited when I unexpectedly encounter a small brook near or crosses the trail I am on. I become wide awake to details as I know that my favorite kind of shiny object will appear.
As silly as it sounds, I know I will notice a unique small stone among the many rocks in the stream. Sometimes it’s a stone that is a different color than others. Perhaps the shape of the rock makes it stand out or because it glistens a certain way in the sunlight. I pick up that stone, and almost childlike, I admire its uniqueness. Most of the time, that stone is going into my small backpack. When I get home, it will go into a large plastic container filled with other stones that have caught my attention over the years. Before I get ahead of myself, which is another story.
For me, “admiring a shiny metal object's uniqueness” can take on several meanings. By now, you may have figured out that it is not the stone that has called out to me. It is the moment itself that becomes important because of the joy it brings. If you could see the smile on my face when I simply hold a brook-washed stone, you would instantly recognize contentment and total surrender. At that moment, all is right with the world. Those few seconds are extraordinary because I have stepped back from my routine. Those things in my life, such as anguish, stress, and frustration, to name a few feelings, disappear from my emotions and senses.
Another observation is that the object does not have even have to be shiny. For instance, I enjoy restoring antique hand tools. There have many times I have picked up an old rusty tool that would be better off in the metal scrap pile. I get this innate interior feeling that I can bring it back to life. Or I will notice the early budding of a flower such as a rose in one of my wife’s gardens in our yard. You may know this expressed as taking time to smell the flowers (a type of shiny metal object). I always get this look from her that I am silly, even bothering to tell her that her flowers are budding. To her, of course, they are developing, as that’s what flowers do; yet she knows I have had a moment of joy.
I want to challenge you to find the time to seek your shiny metal objects. Step back from your regular routine to create a moment to be in awe and wonder. Perhaps like me, you can think back to those beautiful moments in your life when you have been satiated. Don’t you deserve one of these moments yourself? Couldn’t you find a way to put aside all your busyness to let the bits and pieces of glory that surround you fill you with happiness, even if it is just for a fleeting moment? You may even discover an internal desire to seek them out rather than waiting for them to find you. We all need a grounding, a touch point, or something that draws us away long enough from the constant demands of life so we can become refreshed sufficiently to take on our challenges.
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