She walks in beauty like the night...

Tonight I went on a quest. I used to do this kind of thing all the time growing up in a Colorado suburban town. I used to sneak out of my house at night and go for long walks, always hoping an adventure would find me or fantasizing about a beautiful and romantic encounter that would change my life. Since moving to a big city I haven't been free to do that. But tonight I found myself restless, dissatisfied with everything I looked at in my home, and I knew I had to get out, even if for only a few minutes. Since it's still not too late, I decided to walk two blocks and then come back. I just needed to clear my head. I didn't realize it when I started, but I was actually looking for something beautiful. Something that would stir me inside. Or calm me. Not sure which.

Most people would look at my neighborhood and say I was in the wrong place if I'm searching for beauty. It's like a lot of city neighborhoods: mixed housing, diverse residents, traffic, not a lot of "nature" represented. But I found beauty! Yes I did. And it revived me. Here in this place that more often than not lately stresses me out, I had several soul-stirring encounters with beauty. The first happened when I stepped outside and felt a warm breeze. That first really warm night of spring, you know?! Totally reviving for the soul.

As I walked I realized I was hearing violin music. I walked until I found the window it was coming from. Talk about an encounter with beauty. Is there anything better than standing on a city sidewalk underneath a window with a silhouette of a man playing the violin in a way that sounds like singing? I mean, I was transported...somewhere. Paris is what immediately comes to mind, although I've never been there. I just imagine, though, that every street has its own window violinist. Anyway, for the minute I stood there listening, I remembered that I love cities because so many interesting people live in them. And it's hard to shut yourself away behind your door in the city, because there are so many windows and neighbors and activities. I love that.

I forced myself to move on when he turned toward the window. Being spotted as a "spotter" is not an encounter I want to have. I kept walking and I saw another set of windows. These were not lit by the soft, warm, indirect lighting of the violinist's; instead, these were lit by warehouse-type lights, bright white and beaming from directly overhead. College dorm lights will maybe give you a more accurate picture. Anyway, I could see beautiful portraits hanging on the walls (as in paintings, not photos) and, what made me actually stop and stare, there was writing on the windows. Have you seen the movie A Beautiful Mind? Remember when he writes his equations all over the library windows? Well, these didn't look like equations, more like quotes and conversations. They were too high up to read (not to mention backwards since they were written on the inside), but I did see the word "everything". I thought that was a fun way to live, writing thoughts on your windows as they occurred to you, or quotes you wanted to remember. The college dorm room turned into a creative, stream of consciousness studio. Cool.

Finally I made it out to the main street and I looked to my left. I saw green traffic lights lined up for a quarter mile or so, casting a vibrant glow on the street that suddenly seemed alive. Then I looked to my right and saw nothing but red lights, and the street looked seductive and mysterious. Same street, two different views. I love that. I love city lights at night. It's something not everyone would define as beautiful, and I love that too. City lights invite you to imagine all the lives being lived in this place where art meets work meets suffering meets beauty.

If you are feeling discontent with the place you are in, I challenge you to look around, go for a walk and listen, turn your head for another view. You might be surprised at the beauty you find.