How can you recognize beauty?

What humbugs we are, who pretend to live for Beauty, and never see the Dawn!
- Logan Pearsall Smith, essayist (1865-1946)

The concept of beauty is as mysterious and elusive as that of love. Smith saw beauty in the rising of the morning sun. Others see it in flowers, in the sight of their children at play or in the eyes of their loved one.

Beauty is also as difficult to pin down as taste. Both are learned, for the most part. Yes, we learn what is beautiful by listening to others. Smith was trying to teach others that dawn is beautiful, for example. (Taste is also learned, as we may see by differences in food and beverage preferences among various peoples of the world.)

The important thing might not be to see dawn, but to see some form of beauty and to give ourselves the opportunity to appreciate it frequently.

Beauty is one of the treasures of life. And it's free. It's something not to be missed by anyone. And it's available to everyone.

Bill Allin
'Turning It Around: Causes and Cures for Today's Epidemic Social Problems,' striving to help each of us recognize beauty in our lives, no matter where we live or under what conditions.
Learn more at http://billallin.com/cgi/index.pl