My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, coffee life, spirituality and the mystery of it all.
We are heading home today, back to the colder temperatures. I have enjoyed the family time except for all the food I was forced to eat. I have also enjoyed the wonderful weather they have here in Phoenix. Tomorrow will be my pre-op appointment, blood draws and more explanation on what to expect with the surgery on the 5th. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving !
I go to this area on regular basis because it’s only about 5-6 miles from my home. Until last night I never paid any attention to this tree. Just to to right of of the image are a group of trees I photograph on a regular basis but not this one. I don’t even remember seeing it before. Anyway it is now on my list of subjects to look for.
Silence has become an essential part of my life. It’s not just a time to sit and have external quiet. Finding inner quiet has been a process over the past 20 years or so. I found it useful when I worked as a fight attendant. When flying I discovered how to find places of silence. After the chaotic boarding process we would begin pushing away from the gate and begin our taxi to the runway. It’s at this point we take our jump-seats and as we are trained, make a silent review. This silent review entails a walk through our minds all steps we would take in case of an emergency during takeoff. After a silent review I would also use this time to quiet my inner self. This included deep breaths to help silence the mind. There was no silence in that aircraft but I could find the silence within me.
I’ve heard of a prayer that goes something like this, “God give me patience and give it to me now.” Waiting can be difficult for many of us. Several come to mind. Standing in a checkout line. Sitting in doctors office. Waiting on a delayed flight at the airport. Meeting someone who is late for coffee. Waiting for the arrival of a new grandchild. Waiting for our tax return. 🙂 Waiting for a freezer of homemade ice cream to finish. Waiting for the pizza to be delivered. Yet, as I grow older I’ve learned to appreciate waiting. I really do enjoy those times of sitting or kneeling in wet grass waiting for the sun to touch the horizon as it rises or sets. Walking the streets waiting for a photo opportunity to present itself. Waiting silently in prayer or mediation. Waiting is a teacher if we let it. Waiting can be a discipline if we let it. Waiting can have special rewards if we let it. As Elizabeth Taylor says, “It is very strange that the years teach us patience – that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.” Are we learning to wait patiently or wanting it now?
It’s interesting to watch the expressions when passengers ask me what I did before working as a flight attendant. I usually get a good response when I tell them I worked as an engineer, giving up my cubicle for a tubicle. My office views at 30,000 feet are so much nicer than looking at the three paneled walls surrounding my old cubicle.
Not every view from my office is spectacular. Some views are on the boring side; a dull gray. But we have miles and miles of gray with a bump thrown in here and there, for good measure. Should be back in Columbus tomorrow just in time for the snow. 🙁
In a conversation with a fellow flight attendant, Rhonda, she told me how much she enjoys her work. And, it shows through her works ethics, how she interacts with passengers and, most importantly, she is someone I want beside me if the stuff ever hits the fan. Working as a flight attendant fits her. It offers her something that tugs at her heart and keeps her coming to work. I can relate to all of that as a photographer. I’ve often asked myself why I spend time seeing the world through a cameras viewfinder then post processing those images. To some that’s a waste of time, yet to a photographer something tugs at our hearts and holds us as willing captive tin it’s grip.
I’ve been at this flight attendant work for almost 4 years. I seldom share why I show up at the gate at 4:45 in the morning when it’s 20 degrees outside and then present a safety demonstration to passengers who would rather I shut-up and let them sleep. (Now that’s grumpy, Earl!) Well, I do it because of the people. It doesn’t matter their age, gender, color, culture, status or if their grumpy. They are people wanting to safely get from here to there and placing their trust in us. So, I show up.
Another reason I do it is because of the views. As my conversation with Rhonda continued along I heard myself tell her how I moved from working in a cubicle to working in a tubicle. And, oh how that view changed dramatically. n all honesty the cubicle had no view while flying has breathtaking views that change constantly. I don’t always get a chance to check out the views but every once in a while I can take a quick peek out the window and let out a long “Aaahhh” along with those passengers (who are awake). The above image is an example and was taken with my iphone. So, the views are another reason I show up.
I want to make sure you understand that I do not do this work for the money. I repeat I do not do this work for the money. The simple reason for that is because there isn’t any to be made. But, I show up anyway because of the above reasons and few others that I won’t bore you with now.
When I’m flying and the weather is cold and snowing I do not always want to venture outside. I find walking around my hotels to be a form of stress relief and easier to do in short periods. So here is another image taken in stairwell at one of the hotels. The ordinary seen in black and white.
On one of our overnights all four crew members walked to a nearby restaurant for something to eat and unwind from a day of flying. Of course I carried the camera and as we walked under the underpass the light caught my attention. I stopped and took a couple of images. When I stopped, they all stopped and waited. They tolerate me, too.
I am sitting in my hotel room in Richmond, VA. The flying has been tough the last two days with all the snowy and cold weather moving across the country and pounding the eastern coast. Not much opportunity to get out and shoot so I grabbed one from a few days ago. It is lightly snowing now and expected to continue through the night. This was taken a few days ago and is one of those images where I just wanted to fire off a few shots of whatever I was around. Love to hear the shutter.
Working as a flight attendant I get to see people who are afraid to fly. They will have a tight grip on the armrest, breathing is short, eyes are open wide and constantly searching all that is around them, ears are alert to every sound. Once the aircraft lifts from the ground their bodies tighten and become rigid. Fear is in control.
Fear runs rampid in our world, cheating some of us from living life to its fullest. The biggest regrets in my life have been those times I failed to try due to fear of failure, which is failure. I wonder how many images I have missed because I was white knuckling it. Each day I have the chance to experience life outside my comfort zone and maybe learn something wonderful. It’s all about letting go and trusting.