Opening my eyes

I have been cycling a lot more than usual the last few weeks. Part of that is due to the current fuel shortage in Zimbabwe, but a desire to increase fitness is also a strong motivator. Most of my rides are early morning, which can be a bit chilly as winter bows out. My route often takes me up the back of the Royal Harare Golf Club and I was pleasantly surprised to find see a number of duiker (a small antelope) wandering over the course in the sunrise. I had never really noticed them before. And certainly not while driving. The slower pace of cycling allowed me more freedom to pay attention to things around me, to things I would not normally notice. If I missed the duiker so easily, what else am I missing in other areas of my life? Sometimes it pays to take advantage of your full visual field. It wasn’t a lack of intelligence that prevented me from seeing before; in this case it was that my focus was elsewhere. Now when I go pass I try to see how many I can find (as well as looking out for anything else)-so far my count is at 5.