A mouse so small! But look at its whiskers, they are at least as wide as its body. Mouse eyes are designed to maximise distance vision which means things close up are blurred. It is their whiskers (all twenty four) which, through neurone receptors in the brain, tell them where things are immediately around their heads. Researchers at Berkeley University draw the analogy with the way we will use the touch of our fingers to locate what’s on the bedside table in the dark.
The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore.
As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over.
And our love for the world wains and falters.
The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation.
