Someone spray-painted the words "SLOW DOWN" on the guard rail of a scenic overlook. A vehicle which failed to stop would tumble down a steep hillside. the message also reminds travelers to take time to enjoy the scenery ... and the journey.
Reflection:
We had a few days to explore south-western New Mexico, before and after a conference in Las Cruces. It was a new area of the country for us. When we stopped at this scenic overlook, we were on our way to the Gila River Cliff Dwellings National Monument which is 44 miles from Silver City.
The road continued to climb until it reached the continental divide in Pinos Altos at 7000ft. The snow got deeper and the road narrower as we followed its twists and turns. In many places, the road dropped off down a steep hillside forested with junipers and pines. The wind caught the snow and swirled it creating mini-snow storms although new snow may have no longer been falling.
“Slow down” - excellent advice! Our car creeped along the road. I held my breath as we negotiated every curve. Time expanded and stretched itself like taffy. Individual snowflakes seemed to hover indefinitely in mid-air. At the continental divide we stopped our car at a pull-off. Still shivering from the tension of the harrowing ride, we got out of the car to photograph the continental divide sign and some of the snow-covered junipers amid the swirling snow.
“Slow down” I don’t need to be traveling in life-threatening road conditions to experience how time expands to allow me to deeply notice my surroundings.
Slowing down allows me to notice - notice what’s around me, notice the weather conditions, notice the quality of the light.
