Northern White, David Landis

I noticed this amazing rhinoceros sculpture for this first time a few weeks ago. Honestly, I had run past it several times a week for months and never really seen it. I finally took time to stop and read the plaque that describes the story of the Northern White rhinoceros. The Northern White is an endangered species, and this sculpture reminds us of life’s delicate balance.

How could I have missed this treasure that I had passed so many times? It sits smack dab in the middle of a busy section of Beltline. What other beautiful art do I miss because I don’t pay attention? What parts of life do I miss because I don’t pay attention? How do I learn to pay attention?

For me, writing is paying attention. (I believe we each have our unique ways we pay attention.) Writing forces me to slow down. Writing asks me to focus and record details. Writing allows me to separate what matters from what does not. Writing creates space to explore the taken for granted. Writing is generous in the way paying attention is generous. Writing shares the wonder of paying attention.

A Note on my Atlanta Beltline Writing Project

I am practicing paying attention. I am practicing noticing beauty. I am practicing getting in touch with my artist self. I am practicing connecting with the outdoors. I am practicing my inner Mary Oliver. I live in Atlanta, “the city in a forest.” I live on the Atlanta Beltline, an interurban trail that graces the city. The Beltline is part arboretum, part art gallery, part park. It connects shops and restaurants and homes with people of all descriptions. I walk on the Beltline 4 or 5 times a week. I have spent the last year appreciating all that it is. I have personally photographed the images I will share. My hope is to write about it — its art, trees, landmarks, etc.— for the next few weeks as spring unfolds. I want to soak it all in.