Long before the advent of the Internet and the barrage of emails and cell phones, the telegraph was the fastest means of communication. There's an interesting story about a young man who saw an ad seeking a Morse code operator ... and went to the address listed to apply for the job.

He entered a large, noisy office in which a telegraph clacked away in the background. A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.

He completed the form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally, the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on.

A few minutes later, the young man and the interviewer came out of the inner office, and the interviewer announced to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this young man."

As you can imagine, the other applicants began to grumble to each other, and then one said, "Wait a minute - I don't understand. He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!" The employer said, "All the time you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out a message in Morse code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. So the job is his."

I like this story because it is a reminder to be aware of sounds, smells, activities, people, etc., all around us. Its so easy to limit our comprehension that we may miss some of the greatest experiences that are just waiting to be recognized or understood. We live in such a fast-paced world that we need to take seriously the suggestion to "stop and smell the roses." If we truly are aware, we need also to be aware of the risk involved - it may take us in a completely new direction in our lives. Not to take the risk, however, may insulate us from some of the most precious and enriching experiences of our lives.