A photon has no defined size. It has zero mass. And yet they make up all of the visible light that is part of our daily lives. Close to 90% of the light that hits our eye is lost before it can be detected. Neural filters only allow a signal to pass to the brain if many photons arrive in a short period. So, long story short after scientifically geeking out for a bit, we don’t always see or recognize the totality of what’s presented to us. And that includes so much more than photons and light.
One of the most thoughtful Christmas presents I received from my wife this year was an overnight stay in St. Augustine at the Bayfront Westcott Bed & Breakfast. My time spent at the bed and breakfast was preceded by a visit to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. As someone who is writing the initial draft of the first novel in a brand new series that centers around a lighthouse, I embraced the opportunity for inspiration to shine down on me (slight pun intended).
And it was an amazing historical site to go see. Walking through the keeper’s quarters, climbing the 219 steps to the lantern room at the top of the lighthouse, and learning about the historical events revolving around numerous shipwrecks in the area were equal parts fascinating, educational, and humbling. But it’s what happened after I departed from that historical site, at the most unexpected time and in the most unplanned manner, that reminds me of those scientific facts presented in the opening paragraph.
I have been to St. Augustine before, but it has only been to visit the historical sites. I had never wandered through the streets downtown. St. George, Charlotte, and Aviles Streets supplied a plethora of experiences that couldn’t be seen (just like many of those photons), but gosh could they be felt and absorbed in so many other ways.
The shop-lined streets with cobblestone paving made me feel as though I had been transported to a different country. The live music pouring from courtyards with twinkling lights at dusk was therapeutic. And the abundance of scents as I put one foot in front of the other bordered on intoxication. Fresh crab cakes, sugary Belgian waffles, peanut butter and dark chocolate pastries. I simultaneously wanted to stand in one place and inhale deeply while eagerly anticipating the next aroma awaiting me with my next step. All of this was unplanned and unexpected, but it’s what happened next that really put a cherry on top of the whipped cream (there was plenty of that present during my endeavors as well).
I stumbled by an otherwise ordinary storefront called Gypsy Moon Soap Shop Boutique. It was interesting, but it was the easel adorned with pink chalk on the blackboard that pulled me inside. Find your next great read. Meandering through the hustle and bustle of the touristy items at the front of the shop, my eyes locked on the small sign hanging above an arched doorway. Gypsy’s Book Nook. If I thought I had been transported to a different country when first traversing the streets of St. Augustine, walking into this cozy bookish corner was akin to entering the ideal universe. It just fit me. I felt like I was wrapping myself in a warm and comfy blanket. The snug lighting, welcoming couch, and stacks of carefully curated books (many which I had already read) provided one of those unseen but deeply felt moments that spoke to my soul in a whisper: you are home.
In the back of the space was a small basket with several books covered in gift wrap, flowers, tea bags, bracelets, stickers, and small notes, all with a different title on the front. The one I ended up buying was adorned with the following: Blind Date with a Fairytale. I’ve done this when visiting a bookstore, buying a book without reading the blurb and based solely upon the cover. This took that notion a step further by completely hiding everything but a short quote from the book. If those scents I encountered on the streets earlier bordered on intoxication, this discovery left me downright drunk.
I left the space (reluctantly) after connecting with Alison, the curator of the shop, and vowed to return in the future. If not to find a way to display my own books here (I did say it felt like home, right?) I am committed to promoting this space and how it inspires readers to discover something new, something unseen.
After returning back to the bed and breakfast, I was floating on one of those fluffy cumulonimbus “cloud nine” levels in life. After an engaging conversation with my fellow guest house residents over hors d`oeuvres and wine, a perfect evening came to a pleasant if unwanted finish.
At the start of my day, I had expected to find inspiration at the top of a lighthouse while gazing out over the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. And I did. But the most impactful moments of that day occurred thereafter with an immersion of sights, sounds, scents, emotions, and company that was both unmatched and unexpected when compared to everything that came before it.
Perhaps scientific principles aren’t always reserved for the realm of data, analysis, and explanations of physical phenomena. Maybe they sometimes apply to things outside of that which can be experienced with the five senses. It’s possible, or even highly probable, that we’re all gypsies meandering through life in some capacity, waiting for that blind date with fate. I discovered mine, both metaphorically and literally, in a small bookish corner of St. Augustine in a moment of beautiful serendipity.
That light we cannot see… it’s there. We only need to believe that it is, and only then will we be presented with the perfect way to experience and absorb all the energy it can provide for us.
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