Eyes to the Sky

Eyes to the Sky
            When you walk, do you look straight ahead, chin up? Or might you look at the ground in front of you, head tilted down?
            I catch myself looking down at the trail out of habit. I look over at my autistic son and see that his head is facing down much of the time. I make a point to take his hand and stand still for a few moments, encouraging him to look up at the scenery around us.
            “Look, Sean, the ocean!” I say, tilting his chin up away from the ground.
            “Ocean!” he says, then looks down again.
            I sigh, glad that at least we’re out in the fresh air. Then I realize that I rarely stop completely and tilt my head back to look straight up.
            Looking high in the sky usually offers a pleasant surprise. One day I see abstract tree branch patterns silhouetted against a vibrant blue sky. Another day I see unusual cloud formations. On another, I count as many as ninety pelicans flying in a V-shape overhead.
            Stopping to look at the world from a different angle is not only refreshing, but can snap our minds out of entrenched viewpoints.
            Plant your feet and aim your eyes to the sky next time you have a chance, and see if the world feels a little more open. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes, Mountain Lake-Anza Trail, takes walkers on an easy loop walk at the southern end of San Francisco’s Presidio.
            Click Insights/Hike Update News for inspiring reflections. Browse hikes on the main Hikes page or on the Hike Search by Area (was Quick View Hike List) page. Click World Walks to see or share favorite family-friendly walks! Stay in touch with Lisa Louis and HikingAutism via Contact. The Links page lists a loose collection of helpful information links.
            Check the Home page for the broader background story. If you’re not able to take one of these Northern California hikes, hopefully you can enjoy the photo galleries at the bottom of each hike page! Please feel free to share, and follow on Twitter at @HikingAutism
New this week:
Hike Notes 170: Mountain Lake-Anza Trail