Be mindful of your environment

In my last post, Joe (a fellow blogger) commented that he tries to always be aware of what is going on around him. One_last_kiss says that people do sometimes get a little self absorbed and don't think to look where they are going. Taffy noted the presence of several disabled persons in the restaurant at the time, as mentioned, and that they seemed to be more aware.
I think all three of them have hit the nail on the head with those comments. It is all about being aware of your surroundings. Sometimes we get a little consumed by our thoughts, and that's when we miss that one critical thing we should have been looking out for, like that deer on the side of the road.
I'm as guilty of this as the next person. Sometimes I get so busy doing something, I'm not always sure just where my cane is pointed as I lean on something. Or I will be working at the computer, and totally forget the coffee I poured myself half an hour ago. Don't even get me started on my ability to ignore reality when there is a book involved!
I'm sure that you have all seen the Star Wars movie, in which Luke goes to train with Yoda, the Jedi master. Do you remember the scene where he is trying to explain how Luke can use the Force to move his ship from the lake? "Feel the Force around you." Sure, that might be fiction, but there is that grain of truth, that we can accomplish more if we pay attention to the world around us.
Every discipline I've ever heard of says that we must always be aware of what is going on about us, because all things are interconnected. Action is followed by reaction, even at the quantum level. (If you want to get all scientific about it.) Buddhists say that all things are connected, and how we treat the world around us is how we will be treated by it. The monks revere life to the extent that they sweep insects from their paths.
We don't all have to go to that extreme. Maybe just turn down the mp3 player a little bit. Maybe take the time to look around at the people going past you once in a while. The best advice of all, don't forget to look a child in the eyes when they speak to you. They are people too, and sometimes we overlook what they have to add.