Photo Challenge #16 - Misty Morning Magic
After posting a single photo as a preview of this newest Photo Challenge last week, here are some of the other photos. I hope you enjoy the beauty of a misty morning. As is evident, I haven't written a Photo Challenge post every week, haven't written a proper Photo Challenge post for some time now. Yes, creating a Photo Challenge for this blog was meant in part to challenge me to go out there and take photos, however I've just not felt inspired lately. Walking around with a camera, attempting to see the beauty all around, sharing that beauty - All that sounds great in theory, however doesn't always work out in real life. Sometimes you're just too tired or drained. Sometimes you have a period when seeing the beauty is hard. Sometimes you feel let down by others and taking photos takes too much emotional effort. Sometimes you look at what is happening in the world and feel like taking photos of beautiful scenes is pointless. Sometimes you wonder why you even bother. A few photos won't change the world, says that voice in my head. A few photos won't stop women being raped, won't stop people being chased from their homes. A few photos won't stop zealots from slaughtering innocents. A few photos won't make the world a better place for the refugees fleeing to Europe. And really, who do I think I am to be taking photos, to feel happy, to live my life as if nothing bad is happening in the world?
Really, I should make a point of reading more 'happy news' and more positive stories. Of surrounding myself with kind, gentle, caring and compassionate people. Of watching videos of cute kittens, adorable children and kind & happy people. Of smiling at strangers. Of dancing as if nobody's watching. Of doing more good deeds and making the world a better place, one step at a time and one good deed at a time. However it feels wrong to neglect the bad news. It feels wrong to neglect the fact that people are suffering. It feels wrong to neglect the many wrongs; the women being raped, the men being slaughtered, the children who cry themselves to sleep at night. So I read the horror stories. I watch the videos. I look at the photos. I make myself face reality: the world is full of tears, of suffering, of stress and hurt and anger and sadness. I bear witness because when faced with mad men armed with guns, rifles, bombs, knives, swords, stones, rockets and a great deal of anger, bearing witness is all I can do. I am a pacifist, an optimist, someone who believes there is a core of goodness and kindness and compassion in all beings. I am someone who truly believes the pen is stronger and mightier than the sword, who believes that world peace is possible if only enough of us want peace. Yet sometimes even I lose faith, if only for a moment, a minute, an hour, a day. Sometimes even I lose faith and when that happens, taking photos of trees and flowers feel senseless. My photos won't stop the horrors or end the fighting or make people kinder or anything of the sort, I tell myself.
But... If my photos make a difference to just one person, doesn't that mean that I succeeded? If my photos bring a smile to the face of just one person and that person passes on the smile, does that not mean that I succeeded? It can be hard - sometimes it feels impossible, even - to focus on goodness and kindness, beauty and compassion, love and gentleness. Yet it is worth it if just one person's day is made better or brighter through my actions. Isn't it? Because what it comes down to is this: That one person, that is who I take photos for. That is who I write for. While I may not be able to make the world a better place all by myself, if enough of us focus on creating a better world, we can make that world a reality. If my photos or my words touch just one person and they in turn pass that spark on to the next person who passes it on as well, then perhaps the pretty tree I took a photo of or the beautiful flowers I posted online, perhaps they will have contributed to making the world a better place. Maybe not for all, but at least for one or for some. If enough of us work on making the world a better place for some, then perhaps we will make that better place a reality for all one day. And that's why I'm posting these photos - to contribute. To be a voice for peace and compassion, for honesty and love, for happiness and contentment, for inspiration and beauty. To help make that better world a reality by showing that I believe it is possible to create that world. To help people smile and see the beauty all around them. So, enjoy the photos. And remember to see the beauty all around, no matter what other horrors you see or face or remember or live with every day.
Really, I should make a point of reading more 'happy news' and more positive stories. Of surrounding myself with kind, gentle, caring and compassionate people. Of watching videos of cute kittens, adorable children and kind & happy people. Of smiling at strangers. Of dancing as if nobody's watching. Of doing more good deeds and making the world a better place, one step at a time and one good deed at a time. However it feels wrong to neglect the bad news. It feels wrong to neglect the fact that people are suffering. It feels wrong to neglect the many wrongs; the women being raped, the men being slaughtered, the children who cry themselves to sleep at night. So I read the horror stories. I watch the videos. I look at the photos. I make myself face reality: the world is full of tears, of suffering, of stress and hurt and anger and sadness. I bear witness because when faced with mad men armed with guns, rifles, bombs, knives, swords, stones, rockets and a great deal of anger, bearing witness is all I can do. I am a pacifist, an optimist, someone who believes there is a core of goodness and kindness and compassion in all beings. I am someone who truly believes the pen is stronger and mightier than the sword, who believes that world peace is possible if only enough of us want peace. Yet sometimes even I lose faith, if only for a moment, a minute, an hour, a day. Sometimes even I lose faith and when that happens, taking photos of trees and flowers feel senseless. My photos won't stop the horrors or end the fighting or make people kinder or anything of the sort, I tell myself.
But... If my photos make a difference to just one person, doesn't that mean that I succeeded? If my photos bring a smile to the face of just one person and that person passes on the smile, does that not mean that I succeeded? It can be hard - sometimes it feels impossible, even - to focus on goodness and kindness, beauty and compassion, love and gentleness. Yet it is worth it if just one person's day is made better or brighter through my actions. Isn't it? Because what it comes down to is this: That one person, that is who I take photos for. That is who I write for. While I may not be able to make the world a better place all by myself, if enough of us focus on creating a better world, we can make that world a reality. If my photos or my words touch just one person and they in turn pass that spark on to the next person who passes it on as well, then perhaps the pretty tree I took a photo of or the beautiful flowers I posted online, perhaps they will have contributed to making the world a better place. Maybe not for all, but at least for one or for some. If enough of us work on making the world a better place for some, then perhaps we will make that better place a reality for all one day. And that's why I'm posting these photos - to contribute. To be a voice for peace and compassion, for honesty and love, for happiness and contentment, for inspiration and beauty. To help make that better world a reality by showing that I believe it is possible to create that world. To help people smile and see the beauty all around them. So, enjoy the photos. And remember to see the beauty all around, no matter what other horrors you see or face or remember or live with every day.
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