This is a post that I wrote last year for Open Source Charity. I’m recycling it today because I was thinking about it this morning as I walked in Holyrood Park. At this time of year it seems the winter has lasted forever and I, like many others, get a bit sick and tired of it all! So today with clear blue skies I went for a walk to clear my head and get some perspective. I remembered writing this and thought I’d share it again because, you know it’s nice to share when you’re right!
I live in Edinburgh which is a must see for any visitor to Scotland but for folk like me who live and work here it’s easy to forget what a great city it is. Every so often I like to hit the streets, parks, cycle tracks, whatever of Edinburgh and pretend like I’m a tourist. See the wander of the city that all these people that visit see, and that we who live here become immune to.
I had one of those day’s yesterday. I walked from my house to Holyrood Park and took a stroll round Arthur’s Seat – nothing special right? It’s what I see every single morning when I open my blinds – boring! Actually no….and I really don’t like to use this word but I’m going to – it’s awesome! A huge park and hill with lochs and wildlife and the most amazing views over the whole city and it’s bang smack in the city centre but when your up in the middle of it you feel like you could be out in the countryside. I opened my eyes and I looked over the city like I was seeing it for the first time and I was so happy that I get to live in such a beautiful place.
So tonight sitting on my sofa I was wandering what it’d be like to turn my “tourist eyes” onto some other parts of my life. I recommend it, in fact I insist that you do it too. Remember that tourists go to a place because they’ve heard really good things about it, because they’re interested in what there is to see and experience there. Now sit yourself down somewhere quiet for ten minutes and look at some of your life with “tourist eyes” – I guarantee that you’ll find some really cool things that you have become immune to because they’re there everyday, and you’ll find yourself sitting with a daft grin on your face – I did.
Now I wander if we can take it one step further and make it really useful. Take it to your charity’s (or business’) social media world, make these eyes work for you, turn them to your website, turn them to your blog, turn them to your facebook page – be a tourist there, what do you see? Imagine that someone gave you the tip to search out this charity because they are really cool and do great work, or business because they have amazing product or service – is that shining through when you visit their online world? If you were a tourist here would you be telling your friends to visit because it’s awesome? If not why not?
Ok now you know so go fix it!
Go on I dare you, try out your tourist eyes and let me know how you get on.
Photo credit: Nestor M
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