Noticing, not noticing

I went for a run in an unfamiliar town. Since the streets were new to me, I kept to a simple route that I ran twice. (This way, I wouldn’t get lost.)

The first time around, an unusual house captured my attention. I was fascinated by all the interesting objects on the property.

The second time around, however, I was well beyond that same house before I realized I had passed it.

It was a memorable lesson. When our attention is elsewhere, we can overlook the most marvelous things — even things we’ve noticed before.