Murmuration, connection, wonder: A Shot of Wonder

One spring afternoon, my younger daughter Alethea and I took a walk in a nearby park. She had been reporting to me what she knew about butterflies, how one side of their wings displays beautiful colors and designs, and how the other side helps them blend in.

"Oh, right," I said, "That's camouflage."

"I know," she said, irritated, and walked on.

I'm still learning to listen, ask questions, and shut up—to not "teach" my child at every freaking moment. It's a humbling habit to break that gets in the way of so many grown-up relationships. Sometimes a person just wants to share what she's learning to be true in the world.

But then, as if on cue, Alethea suddenly stopped and said, "Listen, Papa." I did so.

From one set of trees erupted a hidden yet gossipy chorus of birds, both boisterous and musical. She drew me closer a few steps, and then the treetops exploded as black swirls emerged, lifted and dipped, twisted and swirled like an animated Van Gogh painting. For several minutes, Alethea and I stood spellbound with delight as we watched a speedy amoebae-like cloud made up of black dots shift shapes through the air.

Hundreds of starlings syncopated a midair dance. Where words so often get in the way, a shared visceral experience of wonder bonded us. For the rest of the evening, Alethea and I could recount the experience. My daughter and I had, as it were, "a moment." We experienced the very thing I yearned for. We connected.

---

I work with entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders, and creatives often in private consulting engagements. They come to me for wise strategy and creative ideation and iteration. But they often yearn to - and need to - sync up with even more people than I.

This week I also have been talking with people applying for the Tracking Wonder Inner Circle (TWIC) MasterMind Experience. Those conversations point to some facts in the science of creativity that I want to explore more of here in The Wonder HUB: The power of right connection.

In this Shot of Wonder, I take you on a walk in the woods to consider how one discovery about murmuration sheds light on the nature of human connection, belonging, and collaboration.

Let me know what you think.

Take a look and let me know - Is this Shot of Wonder experiment working for you?

Then, I invite you to wonder out loud back with us in the Comments or reply.

Let me know what you think. And as a premium reader, let me know if you’d like the transcript.

Psst… The first Shot was free as will always be the Sunday Wonder Dispatch. If you want more Shots of Wonder and more say in what I offer, be sure to up your wonder ratio.

More good things to come. Thanks.