It’s only bleak if you’re boring

The rounded, wolly leaves of great muliens contrast against the sword-like blades of yucca and my eye found this textural composition interesting.

In the early spring, when there’s not quite yet a whole lot going on in the wildflower world, some hikes can feel like a lost cause. Looking for beauty where there isn’t any. Back in the day, when a kiddo would complain to me, “I’m bored!” my go-to response was, “then you have to stop being boring.” I encouraged them to use their own agency to be curious about and open-minded to what was around them … to find something or someone to engage with. In my book, that’s a critical life skill. So even when the landscape is mostly a drab brown palette dotted with just a few tentative green shoots, I push myself to stop being boring and appreciate what I see. If you’re boring, life is bleak. If you’re interested in the world, you’ll find beauty.