October in the rain allows one to be alone in their own thoughts. Driving to the mountains creates space for private contemplation. It's quiet, peaceful and lonely. Sometimes lonely is good. When all that can be heard is the rain falling on the underbrush and the falls drowning out everything else, one feels small, yet part of the hush. One can be at peace if everything is right. If it's not right, peace is ellusive. Being at peace makes it easy to be alone, especially if one is alone in their own thoughts. If one can find peace in their soul... quiet in their heart, being alone is a comfort.
On the other hand, it is nice to share peace with another. It just didn't happen that way on this trip.
Do you fell it? It's there - slow down a moment, listen. Look at the colors, see the lights coming up, the pulse of the city? When night falls the city awakens to a different rhythm. Daytime is driving, pushing, rushing, making money. It's more rock-and-roll with a beat that you feel in your chest... but don't hear. But at night, it's more reggae, swagger, improvised jazz, even a little acoustic with a snare, bobbing your head as you walk, tapping your finger on the table while sipping a stawberry lemonade - all you can eat, of course. Relaxing as the sun glitters on the highrises then disappears until the morning. People on the street smile at night, not like in the day when they are hurrying to meet with the accountant. At night they giggle and look in the windows. In your mind you are with somebody, right? Peace can come in the city, but it must be shared, you can't be alone in the city and feel peace. If you are alone amist thousands of people, you are lonely and lonely is not peace, it's only alone. That's how it was this night, alone, watching the sun go down, trying to get a good shot of the glitter before it disappeared. I was pleased with the shot, but not at peace... being alone... among so many people. Afterwards, I was happy to be home.
Sometimes we feel we live in the most ordinary place, that nothing is new. Our path each day is the same, we follow it in our sleep, only watching out for cars. What could possibly capture our attention when we drive the same route every morning and evening? Then, something makes us rethink - like helping a child with a school project. We see it for the first time. Oh yeah, we've been here before, but this time it's different, we see the beauty, the colors - were they like this before and we didn't notice? How many times have we missed out on something so simple and lovely?
It was vacant on the pier except for the lone fisherman. I had never seen these colors before, so rich and deep, so close to home - without Photoshop. Who knew? A man walking his dog and carrying a cup of cof... hot chocolate strolled by and tipped his hat. He enjoyed the quiet. It was cold and my shutter finger couldn't feel the button, I had to look up to make sure I had it in the right spot but it still made me calm to be here on a Sunday morning before church. It didn't take the place of the chapel, but I still felt close to creation. I should take advantage of this more often.
