My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Please Listen
When I ask you to listen to me
and you start giving me advice,
you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me
and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way,
you are trampling on my feelings.
This beautiful woman is Melissa. Just after moving out here I met her and her daughter at a local coffee shop. After breaking the ice and taking a few photos of them we have established a nice friendship. At the present time she is writing a book on vanity license plates. I think she has a good idea going as there are a lot of people driving the streets with personalized license plates causing many of us to mull over their meaning. Her concept is to interview owners who are willing to share the meaning of their license plates and put them into a book. If interested in sharing yours or if you’re curious for more information please check out her website here. Did I mention she is beautiful woman?
I believe a spiritual journey is a journey within ourselves, taking a look at what lies within. Somewhere within us is a bright light. While walking along my path I have found some things that help me.
I journal as a way of discovery and a way to slow down. Prayer and meditation has become a way to commune with my Higher Power. It has taken effort and a of lot trust along this path but the journey is worth it. Each day we see a bit more about ourselves, finding peace and happiness. Each step allows us to see a brighter light illuminating everything around us.
Light is the key to photography. It illuminates our subjects bringing out details and colors. As we look out a window our faces will be lit by the incoming light. The closer we draw to the window’s light the more details we will be able to see in the shadows. Conversely, the farther away we are from the window the less details we will see in the shadows. So, the closer we come to the light the brighter everything around us becomes. Looking inward will make our world around us brighter.
Sunday morning. It is cloudy, cold and a few flakes of the white stuff is falling. The flat grey sky does have the dull look to it today, rather looking more like the skies I’m familiar with back in Colorado. There is texture and distinct shapes to them. I watched the American flag at the entrance to my apartments as it swayed in the stiff wind showing its stars and stripes. And, oh how that wind makes it colder. I am at a favorite coffee shop to enjoy a hot mocha and use the internet.
One of my roommates, Shelley and her two daughters, celebrated their Thanksgiving yesterday. OMG! Shelley and the girls cooked up turkey and ham with all the fixings and I mean fix’ins: mashed tators, yams, corn, green beans, Chelsea’s beets, macaroni and cheese, salad and followed by desserts. There was so much food we were running out of bowls and spoons and space in our small kitchen. There was no way we could eat at the table as there was not room, so some of us found a place on the floor. And, of course I was forced to eat along with them, including the dessert! Here is a snapshot of Shelley’s daughters with plates of food.
Ever see someone daydreaming and wonder where they have gone? Even today while having lunch with a friend she just took off in her thoughts and left our table. I’ve done it.
Wikipedia says, “Daydreaming may take the form of a train of thought, leading the daydreamer away from being aware of his or her immediate surroundings, and concentrating more and more on these new directions of thought.” Yep, that’s happened to me and to the woman in this photo. I can find myself roaming in thoughts when reading, in my prayer time or mediation. In the past it was looked down upon but today we have more acceptance of it, acknowledging that some creative artists use it to write their music or story or create their art. NPR even has their companion-blog titled Daydreaming.
I like this image because she is so focused in her thoughts. She does not seem distraught but peaceful. Did the book she was reading take her to some far off place of fantasy or are there situations in her life that keep her mind busy with the future or past? It was taken at the airport as she waited for her flight. I used the selection tool in Elements to isolate and focus on her face.
Centrally located in the food court at the Charlotte Airport is a piano. While waiting for a flight we listened to this man play a few songs. His music was relaxing and comforting especially in the hustle and bustle of airport travel. I really liked the setting; how he was dressed (love the cap) and especially the light. With all the busyness of the airport it was difficult to just get him and the piano. I tried to get as many images as possible, looking for angles to remove disruptive background and yet include both him and the piano. This is the image I selected to post because to me it shows his enjoyment of playing and his focus. He seems so relaxed. I also thought he was pretty good.
“The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust.”
Henry L. Stimson US politician (1867 – 1950)
I encountered these guys in Nashville. Not sure what was going on but one was covering the others eyes and leading him across the street. I’d call that trust or one too many beers.