Bearing Witness to the Beauty of the Earth

 

Earlier this evening I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items. On the way, I was confronted with some of the most dramatic cloud formations I have ever seen. Living in the Atlanta area, I am used to seeing impressive thunder clouds. These were something out of the ordinary. In high school, I would have been able to name every single formation!  Not anymore.  LOL  Of course, I took pictures with my phone...none of which turned out as dramatic as the original. The one below was the most impressive!

When I pulled into the grocery store parking lot, I noticed even more stunning formations. I chose to park a couple of cars away from a stationary police SUV with very dark windows. LOL I got out of the car and very slowly approached. The officer stepped out of the vehicle and immediately asked if I needed assistance, was I okay? I answered that I was okay yet stunned by the beauty of the cloud formations and I wanted to point them out to him. He stood there and looked at me with a quizzical expression on his face. He lifted his face and took note of the splendor. Then, he said something that I find fairly sad. He told me that very rarely does anyone stop to simply point out the beauty in the world. He thanked me profusely. I was touched because I realized the truth of what he said.

I realized the interaction between us was lacking in any tension--surprise, yes--and was glad I stopped and shared a moment with him.