Wisdom begins in seeing how much we do not know .
The Desk Lamp
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The Desk Lamp -
Breathing
Reading and Writing “Reading is like breathing in , writing is like breathing out . ” Pam Allyn
- Art/Design, Black and White, Cityscapes/Urban, musings, Plants, quotes, shadows, trees, writing/reading
One Must Not Take Photos
Shadows #1 “A photograph is neither taken or seized by force. It offers itself up. It is the photo that takes you. One must not take photos.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson
When someone sees me with a camera I am quite often asked if I have “taken” any good “pitchers” today. I find that difficult to answer. First, I carry a camera as if it is a part of me, a creative tool. I only compose and press the shutter button when an image appears. My belief in that grows more and more each day. One of my tasks in life is to have a camera with me and to be present and observe. I must see with my eyes and the eyes of my heart and soul. And, there are days when I never press my shutter button, most likly because I was not present.
Shadows #2 Secondly, what I consider a good image may not be good to someone else. If Cartier-Bresson is correct then a photograph given to me has a purpose of nurturing my soul and change something within me. And for me the beauty of this is the desire to share some of these images with you, whether they are liked or not.
Thanks for listening. Monte
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Let it Begin
Lamy Logo in Pearl with Diamine Grey Ink This is my newest fountain pen, a pearl colored Lamy Logo with a fine nib. The ink is Diamine Grey, which closely matches the color of the pen, and the journal is an A5 size Moleskin. However, the words are mine. They speak of the struggles and joys of life, sometimes asking questions of why. The words offer gratitude. The words attempt to express what and how I see this world. They are simply prayer.
I leave this morning on my road trip and house sitting adventure. I plan on camping at the Great Sand Dunes National Park this evening then camping tomorrow night at Canyon de Chelly National Monument. And, I’ll probably write about it in this journal as well as on this blog. Looking forward to spending time with my parents and sister and brother-in-law. Let it begin.
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A Cherokee Legend
Early Spring Sunset along Colorado Front Range An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him angry at a friend who he felt had done him an injustice, “Let me tell you a story…
I too, at times, have felt a great resentment for those who have taken so much,with no seeming sorrow or remorse for what they do. I have struggled with these feelings many times.” The grandfather continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me engaged in a challenging conflict.”
“One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. He does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
Sometimes, it is a challenge to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit. The same challenge is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Do you ever stop to ponder….which wolf inside of you do you feed more?
Hopefully I’m nourishing the “good” wolf while being compassionate and accepting of the “bad” wolf because they both exist within me…and denying either one of them only makes it more passionate to make its existence known. Everything that happens in life provides me with an opportunity for growth. I think the challenge at times is whether or not I am willing to listen to both wolves and see what lessons they are teaching me together.
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Give’em a Smile
The path on campus “In order to move forward, you will have to stumble along the way, but every falter in your stride just makes your next step even stronger.” ― Lindsay Chamberlin
I stumbled on one of my walks this past week. Of ocurse the first thing I did was check to see who saw me. Luckily, there were no witnesses. I then looked down to see what I’d tripped over but there was nothing. I literally stumbled over nothing. I just failed to properly place one foot in front of the other as I walked. And, no, I was not looking at my phone but my mind had fluttered off somewhere. I had moved away from being mindful and present to my walk. Nor, can I tell you where it fluttered. Happens more often than I want to admit.
Stumbling can unexpectedly bring us new discoveries, excitement, joys and lessons. And, sometimes stumbling can unexpectedly bring pain, sadness, regret and lessons. But, when we stumble and fall, it’s vital to get back up and dust off the pants, check for witnesses, take note of the reason we stumbled and hopefully learn from any lessons. Stumbling and falling are lessons.
Anyway, if the next time you stumble and there is a witness, give’em a smile and tell them you intended to do that.
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Judith’s Quilt
Judith’s Quilt This quilt was made and given to me over 8 years ago by a good friend, Judith. She was in the final stages of melanoma cancer and died a few weeks after giving me this. It now sits on my rocker and is part of my sanctuary. It was part of her process of letting go and passing along a piece of her. That makes it more than just a handmade quilt.
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Love of Books
Love of Books It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.
C.S. LewisI bought a kindle e-reader about five years ago and fell in love with it. It ignited a fire to read more. Prior to this purchase I read few books, 2-3 a year. Most of my reading consisted of reading books required for school assignments, books on spirituality/religions and a few photography books in my attempt to improve at the craft. I was never interested in novels and still that way. I may read a novel every couple years.
I now have an appreciation for books. I love spending time at the library (that’s where I’m at now) or a book store getting my hands of a few. One of the draws to the Bean Cycle Coffeehouse in Old Town is the nonprofit book store they have. Sometimes I’ll take my latte upstairs, grab a book and skim through part of one. I’ve bought one book from them and donated a few I’ve finished and do not want to keep in my library.
