The other morning, while on a walk with a group of friends, I was taken by the way the low morning light caught these poplar trunks, but left the ones in the background unlit. The scene was a happy one for me. Another blessing I get from our morning walks. I went back the next morning to make this image.
I have a theory that these little gems that we come across every day, not the amazing scenes of wonder, but the little everyday ones, help to bind us together, internally. In our walking group, they offer another common thing to relate to. They’re usually not significant, not like the large landscape magnificence seen from the top of a mountain ascent, but they all are additive in our minds, the combination that makes us utter our decision, singly if not universally, “what a great day.”
Thinking of some more recent and seemingly insignificant ‘moments’ that are gems for my ‘feel good’ impact of the day have been such things as: a young person helping an elder across the street; a hug from a grandchild; being offered a still valid train ticket from a young person, just before I buy a new one; a driver behind me who doesn’t tailgate thus taking away the stress that causes—with me anyway.
Back to the visuals—what about the bald eagle fishing on the river, the geese swimming along with their new goslings all in a tidy row, snow laden branches lit to brilliance by the sun in a clear blue sky after a winter storm, the tiny chickidees flitting from branch to branch and somehow surviving the harshness of winter in their tiny bodies? Then, there might be that special small scene in the mountains that is common, but you notice it, and it makes you feel like you belong in this land. Believe it or not, for we prairie folk, there are scenes on the plains that evoke peace and create a memory. When you’ve had a day amongst the coulees, canola fields, creeks and rivers of the plains, and you notice every one, you think again, “what a great day.”
The continuous little ‘shots’ of aesthetics and familiarity, build inside and keeps us aware—keeps us part of the real world that we live in. We all can look at and appreciate these little things, together. They are yet more that keeps us connected, no matter who we are or where we are from. I think it feels good to share these little things.
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