Orchid Bloom
A few years ago, my Dad offered Teri and I a wonderful gift... a trip to the Caribbean. It was one of the most amazing, exotic, and inspiring events of our lives. The beauty and wonder of the place is so ingrained, so naturally woven into the very spirit of the place, it was like visiting another world.

One of the most subtle delights of the area we were visiting was a casual scattering of tropical plants found nearly everywhere. Now, this makes perfect sense of course... it's the tropics so there SHOULD be tropical plants everywhere. But to a guy who's only seen such beauties in the context of botanical gardens and green houses, stumbling upon these blooms (like the one in this piece) on the way to breakfast was a rare treat.

It was also a lesson in perception. The concept of "natural" is a purely subjective thing. To the people who lived on this island, these orchids were as common as roses or geraniums to people from places like Colorado... I'm sure they smile at the tourists fawning over their "weeds". But we really don't need to travel hundreds of miles to find such exotic beauty. All we need to do is borrow someone else's eyes for a moment and see the wonders that surround us every day.