If the sun had risen only once in a hundred years!

In the 2000s, while improving my English, I had written a story about how our habits change our perspective to things around us. In fact, there are countless wonderful things to see, if we look carefully.

Kemal Efendi was a wise, sensitive old man. He lived in a small, pretty town in Anatolia. Everyone loved and respected him.

One day he got up early to worship -he was a religious man, by the way- and after prayers he set off on his daily journey to the hills. He would go to a hill every morning before dawn to watch the sun rise. He always said, this spectacular view was an 'Art of God.' So on that day, he watched the day's art, then came down from the hill and went to the bakery, where he noticed a great deal of activity in the streets. He couldn't help but feeling alarmed. He asked the baker's apprentice what the commotion was all about.

"Really? Don't you know?" the apprentice said with surprise.

"I have no idea what's happening here. In fact, I have met some strange men recently."

"The event of the century is taking place this afternoon. There will be a solar eclipse. Do you know what a solar eclipse is?"

"Oh, of course. I've seen one before," said Kemal Efendi. "One day, when I was a child, the sky suddenly went dark. People were beating drums. We were confused, so we consulted the elders. They said some strange things but we didn't understand them. Later, I learned what it was. It is the disappearance of the sun's light when the moon passes between the sun and earth, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," said the apprentice. "And it will only be seen clearly from here. People from all over the world are coming here, to our small town. Many scientists are on their way too. Kemal Efendi did not seem very interested.

Won't you watch it?" the apprentice asked. "There will be lots of television crews and live broadcasts."

Kemal Efendi replied calmly, "This is, this solar eclipse is also an 'Art of God'. Every day I watch His different arts. In my opinion, He is the greatest artist. He is always changing His materials. You only notice them if you know how to look at them. I see His art in everything: in flowers, stones, birds, flies… If I try to count His arts, I can't. I've been going to those hills every dawn for forty years. I've been watching the sun rise. You can't imagine how beautiful it is and how it changes from one moment to the next…"

He continued to describe the natural setting that he visited every morning.

Finally, he sighed and said, "If the sun had risen only once in one hundred years, I can't imagine what these people would have done. They have become insulated to the miracles around them and no longer notice them. So, they look for extraordinary things. There are miracles all around us. We just need to look carefully enough to truly see them."

9/11/2000, 23:45 p.m.