In Pursuit of Wonderland
There comes a point in every person’s life when you start questioning the whys of the world. Our purpose. The meaning of life. The finality of our time on this beautiful planet. At some point it happens to all of us.
When I was younger, I had that sense of self discovery. I struggled to understand who I was, what I liked, what I enjoyed. A series of trials, errors and failures mixed with a few lucky guesses, some right answers and a little success. I thought I could rule the world. Nothing could stop me. At that point, I hadn’t experienced any true setbacks or failures to bitter the experience. All the roads were paved with gold. The land of the me. Overrun with enough hormones and emotions to set off a nuclear time bomb…at least that’s how it was for me.
Now some 20 years later the questioning begins. What is the true meaning of life? Why am I here and what the hell are we all doing? There must be more to it than answering a thousand emails, surfing social media, watching shows about doctors or zombies…only to fall asleep and do it all over again the next day. I mean, really.
Now the line of thinking becomes much more introspective and less egocentric.
I suppose we are all put here on this earth with specific gifts and talents. We are drawn toward paths that suit our interests and desires. To find something greater than ourselves. Do we follow the signs or follow our instincts on that never ending search for happiness. The pursuit of a dream. To love. And if we are lucky enough, we find that one thing that truly makes us happy and we hold on to it…tight. For the rare is precious and should not go un-cherished.
Is it really that simple?
***
“For the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth – that Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love.”
― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
Original Posting: Oct 2015
Today marks another full rotation around the sun. 2015 feels like a lifetime ago. So does 2020, for that matter.
I sat down on the couch with Awesome after a birthday breakfast and waxed philosophical for a bit; Incubus jamming out on Pandora, "she called out a warning....don't let life pass you by."
I realize I'm on the path I dreamed of so many years ago. It's not perfect and there are always a roadblock or two to circumvent, but such is life. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
To many more returns...
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Behind the Scenes - In Pursuit of Wonderland
Sometimes when I’m feeling lost or a bit stuck in a rut I go digging through my photo library in search of hidden gems. On most occasions, my photographs need time to rest and breathe before they properly come to life…which is to say that I also have to be in the proper mindset or mood for conceptual creation. Honestly, when I first photographed this idea I thought it was a complete bust…set for redo on a later date.
Discovery of this specific “hole” took place 5 months earlier while out with Kory and Tom, then newly friended after a trip to France forever sealing our fate as Fromagis. That already seemed like a lifetime ago as if I’ve known these boys for ages… Anyhow, this cried a Tori Amos moment. I can sing it now….”Rabbit, where’d you put the keys, girl?” But despite the yearning to, ahem, pull a rabbit out of a hat on this one, Tom had already pointed out a snake. It was June at the time, and there appeared to be a baby snake (rattlesnake, was it?) sleeping down inside one of those holes, it’s scaly tail sticking out of the cracks as if to whisper…come along if you dare. No thank you, I’ll save that concept for another day. One that is snake free.
Fast forward to October. This time out with the Wild Ones Tour from 2014, almost exactly a year ago. The cool autumn air kept the snakes at bay. Take 2. Kory kindly placed himself into position so I could test the angle and upon confirming my vision, Leah stepped in to play my version of Alice. Thank you, Leah!
So why an almost redo? For one, despite the snakeless hole I crouched into happened to contain a small puddle of water. Trying to find the proper balance to not land myself squarely into said puddle was rather challenging. Also, the coolness of the air and the humidity fogged my lens creating issues with finding the proper focus. That topped off with an overcast day, a back lit subject, a high ISO and a low shutter speed…all the odds were stacked against me. So when in doubt, put away and save for a rainy day.
Revisiting with fresh eyes always yields possibilities and for that I am thankful.
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