A few months ago, I read a review of a new film called “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things”. Judging by the review and the trailer, it appears to be about two teens who find themselves reliving the same day again and again, Groundhog Day-style. In an allusion to the conclusion of the earlier film, they start looking for Tiny Perfect Things: moments of serendipity or quiet beauty in the course of an average day.
Now I confess that I have not actually seen the film, so maybe I am reading the wrong thing into it, but the idea of Tiny Perfect Things or more specifically Tiny Perfect Moments resonated with me.
Because there are these moments in almost every day that can be appreciated.
They can be moments of physical beauty: mist rising from a field or lake, the play of sunlight through leaves, a beautiful house, a pretty woman walking along, the sight of poppies, forget-me-nots, daisies or cornflowers, an old barn with a red roof, a church spire.
They can be moments of sensory beauty: the unexpected smell of a log fire, the waft of freshly ground coffee, the sound of birds in the trees or a cockerel on a farm, the taste of fresh cherries, the feel of wind in your hair.
Or even moments of near silence: floating through a cool forest on a spring morning; the meditation of riding up a long hill, listening to your breath and the spinning of the pedals; the silence of a lonely farm road.
But they can also be strange and sudden moments of companionship from strangers: the words of encouragement as you ride up a hill “Allez! Allez!”; a dog bounding up to you and the friendly smiles with its owner; the often unspoken bond with other bikers, joggers, hikers out on a beautiful day.
Just a few weeks ago, I went out on a 50 k ride – a completely improvised and slightly random connection of different segments of rides I had done before – and stopped after about 15 k for a drink of water. Across the street, I noticed a couple also out riding and also stopped for a drink, the girl in a bright pink top. We all moved on. About 10 k later, I passed them by the side of the road and again kept on my random route. Then about 15 k further along and many turns later, they passed me again. “Wow! Them again” And then five minutes later, as I was riding up a hill, I saw them coming down the other way, and the girl laughed and said “Hey!”. They had also noticed me…
Now this was a tiny moment and I am pretty sure that I will never see that couple again or if I do that we will not recognise each other, but that moment of companionship had me buzzing for a week and still makes me smile.
And this is part of why I ride a bike week in, week out. Because my rides through the Belgian countryside may not be filled with stunning landscapes or architectural marvels (and my photographs are usually underwhelming), but they are populated with tiny perfect moments that keep me going for the rest of the week and sustain me through these exhausting times.
There is something about the pace of cycling that makes these moments come: fast enough to see a range of sights and experiences but slow enough to appreciate them and stop to take them in.
So please be alive and alert to these moments. Don’t look for them. Let them find you by getting out and seeing the world beyond your front door. “The Doorstep Mile” as Al Humphreys calls it.
You can help engineer them, by being spontaneous, creative or just fun. creating a space or a moment for yourself or others. On Friday, in the middle of our weekly walk through the forest, my friend E pulled out three glasses and some cans of Jupiler beer and three of us sat there at a wooden table in the fading evening light, laughing, chatting and being in the moment.
But above all, watch the world around you and to be alert for the beauty. Stop. Watch. Appreciate. It is so easy to miss these tiny perfect moments when we are hurrying along or engrossed in a conversation or ruminating on our own lives.
And when you put those tiny perfect moments together? A few hours of blessed escape, of sanity, of freedom in these troubled times.
Live your life. Live your life. Live your life.
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