*Planet Earth

Have you ever stopped what you were doing…

– rushing around from here to there, to meet schedules, catch planes, get home in the ‘rush’ hour

-throwing a meal together for the family before folding the laundry, putting the baby to bed, writing the Christmas cards and slapping on the night-cream

-catching up on FaceBook, reading all the messages, adding a few, checking the text messages and the latest chart release

-looking for that puzzle piece that fell from the toy-box, re-modelling the Barbie-doll, nagging Mum to switch on the DVD player, hounding big sister to try on her lipstick

-frowning over the latest find in the latest book, on the latest thread to discovering the latest revelation, to solve the latest problem in the world, the newest discovery

-counting the pennies to buy the next fix, or a bottle of booze if there is not enough, or turning up the ipod to blast the ear-drums with sounds that will stop the longing, the nagging need for the next fix

-scheming and plotting the agenda of the party, the next meeting, the next session, the latest manifesto, a new law, feeling important

-scratching your head, staring down at the pavement for a dropped coin, shuffling around the same circuit, hands deep in the old raincoat, heart lower than the last depression, feeling worthless

– running the treadmill, pumping the iron, lifting the weights, the bar to a new level, sweating buckets, pushing and pulling, running, running, sweating, sweating

– scanning the web for the shopping sites, clicking the mouse on ‘pay here’, next one – a holiday – perfect ‘all-inclusive’, flight, hotel, hire car, excursions, a week here, a week there, and then ‘where next?’

…to wonder at a snow-flake, a bird in full colour for the winter, a passing cloud, a great wave, the symmetry of a tree in winter, the vermilion sunset, the phases of the moon, Venus, the Milky Way, the squirrel on the fence, the glowing embers in the hearth – and the eyes of your child, your mother, your partner, a friend, a stranger… and smiled?

I invite you to stop for a moment and watch this video – in full screen is best. Many thanks to the film-makers