Tuesday, May 13, 2014

From my front porch . . .

by Kim




. . .  this happened on Saturday for around the 480th something time. And you know what, it never gets old!

As some of you may know, I've been raising monarch butterflies, (most of them) inside, on our dining room table since the Spring of 2013. It has been an adventure, a journey, even heartbreaking at times.

But, like any journey, even those with a somewhat expected outcome, there is always a factor of mystery to keep things interesting. And I think when we are very young that mystery equates to wonder. It keeps us open and engaged in the moment, sometimes with the same things over and over again.

And then we grow up . . . and we don't have time for mystery, much less the moment. 

Our wonder is replaced with doubt.

With that doubt, we might tend to become a little blinded when it comes to our ability to see, and we start  putting up boundaries and attaching labels.

I read something not too long ago about contemplative photography and how we are shaped by language. How the English language uses mostly nouns to name and categorize things and that the Native American languages rely more on verbs, and by doing so are less likely to pass judgement because they focus more on the process and relationship. I found this very interesting, but when I think about it, not surprising.

We need to deprogram ourselves from looking through the lens at mere objects and instead receive them in a way that is slow and spacious, but leaves no room for doubt.


"To keep both wonder and vision alive, we must learn, once again, to be children."
- Steven J Meyers



8 comments:

Diana said...

BEAUTIFUL image!

Anonymous said...

This is such a thought provoking post and a lovely image to go along with it!

terriporter said...

Kim, your photo is just stunning, both in subject matter and all that wonderful bokeh! I can only imagine what it must be like to have had a hand in raising all those beautiful creatures. I think having small children around is the one thing that keeps the wonder alive for me. You see it through their eyes. Interesting facts about language and definitely some food for thought.

Dotti said...

Ahhh, yes! If only we could keep the eyes, the wonder, the heart of children within us all our lives ... Wow! It boggles the imagination.

kelly said...

i'm nodding my head...yes, yes, yes to all of this. beautiful photo kim. thank you for sharing all of this wonder with us.

Unknown said...

Be still my heart!!

Sharlotte said...

Kim, this is just gorgeous!

Carol said...

I just love the concept of thinking in verbs, not nouns - you've really started me thinking! Wonderful post!

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!

 
© Focusing On Life