forgotten beautiful things!

Today's post highlights some things that I think merit remembering because they are lovely, and people forget them. I remembered while traveling. The first is to the left: holiday decorations, even if they may be neglected and seasonally inappropriate. These ornaments were still up (presumably from Christmas) in mid-March in Serbia. That tree is a little tired-looking... but boy, is it trying! And I love that: Absolutely every day is a holiday.  Simple. And it merits a celebration of some kind, regardless of how large or small that celebration ends up being (but hopefully large, given that waking up every morning facilitates every aspect of our accomplishments, and therefore deserves recognition as an Important Thing.) I do think that these celebrations should be intentional, and noted: it is my April 11th resolution to do that enthusiastically and reliably from now on. The next thing: symmetry where you don't expect it. Everyone knows how lovely and fascinatingly ornate a butterfly's wings can be, as well as other examples of natural symmetry. But seemingly unintentional architectural and man-made symmetry can bring people closer to nature in a way that is interesting and at least kind of profound.

It is so easy when living in a city to think of nature as an 'escape.' To forget what a lovely and intricate environment has been constructed and maintained by other people (as well as ourselves, at the very least through tax dollars.) That people Made These Things on Purpose, and presumably that purpose was not to be ugly. I want to start appreciating the beauty in things that are "inorganic." The next  thing is clear water! This is one underrated item, at least in my book. Clear water is fantastic. Swimming in it is pretty much the best, and whenever you are thirsty, you can drink it. I mean, LOOK AT IT. Croatia is the capital of it. It is pretty sweet.

And lastly: vandalism. Good old-fashioned graffiti. The sheer multitude of different emotions expressed on the walls of seemingly every buildings in the Balkans is incredible. This graffiti has the makings of thousands upon thousands of epics. I absolutely adored it. I wish that I could wear the graffiti like I wear clothing. I could write poems of this graffiti for the rest of my life. And how powerful a feeling must be to compel you to write all over the city! Hatred, love, the whole lot of it. That alone is worth traveling to see. Especially when it is this: