"The scenery, when it is truly seen, reacts on the life of the seer. How to live. How to get the most of life.... How to extract its honey from the flower of the world."
(Henry David Thoreau)
Often we look at scenery by sweeping the landscape with our
eyes commenting on its beauty but without really seeing the objects in front of
us. We tend to glance at things, even
other people’s faces, and are unable later to recall the colour of their
eyes. To really see something means
taking a little time to stop, be still, and look closely rather than merely forming an impression. Gaze at a mountain, follow its lines and
contours with your eyes, the gashes and chasms cut deep into it flanks, the
becks trickling down is side, the rocks and scree strewn at its base, the tree
of two bent by the prevailing winds, the grassy knolls, the sheep-folds, the
play of the clouds across the top and the changing light and the individual
character of the place will make itself known to the seer. It is only by taking our time and letting the scenery
unfold that we can begin to see it as it is. Then it will not simply be a fleeting
impression but an understanding of the character of the place.
