"Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Although I lost my status as a Night Owl years ago when I became a parent, I'm not always a Morning Lark either. Most days, I seem to wake myself up just a few minutes before my alarm rings, but sometimes, I need a bigger jolt to get myself out of bed. Previously, on mornings when I was feeling particularly groggy, I would reach for my iPhone and scan the latest headlines. Out of bed I'd jump, thoroughly alarmed!
A couple of days before New Year's Eve, I read an interview from the fall issue of GQ with one of my favorite actors, Aziz Ansari, who writes and stars in one of my favorite shows, Master of None. He was talking about how he took the news off his phone and is so much happier as a result:
"It doesn't feel like we're reading news for the reason we used to, which was to get a better sense of what's going on in the world and to enrich yourself by being aware. It seems like we're reading wrestling rumors. It's like reading about what happened on Monday Night Raw. When you take a step back, it all just seems so sensationalized... So if you take yourself out of it, you're not infected with this toxicity all the time."
I didn't even know it was possible to remove the news from my iPhone. I thought it was a built-in feature--whenever I swiped left from the home screen, there was an assortment of hysterical, apocalyptic headlines waiting just for me, courtesy of Siri's automatic suggestions. But after a little bit of googling, I found out how to remove those headlines. Guess what? My mornings are now news-less and much more peaceful.
I'm not saying that I never look at the news anymore. Sometimes, later in the day, I'll check in to see what's happening. But the point is that I don't assault myself with the headlines first thing in the morning. I have to actively seek out the news, and now I do it when I'm mentally prepared to deal with it. It also helps enormously that I get to choose my own news sources, instead of taking Siri's suggestions.
Yesterday at the library, I was reading a back issue of O magazine and here's what Oprah Winfrey had to say about her morning routine:
"The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is read something inspiring. I like jump-starting my day with a reminder that I am a spiritual being having a human experience. My favorite teachings are always within reach, right on my nightstand."
I'm with Oprah. (That must be a hashtag, right?) Here's to mornings that begin with inspiring words instead of alarming ones.
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Before you go...
If this post resonated with you and you'd like more mindfulness and creativity in your daily life, my next e-course, Soul Focus: Finding Peace Through Photography, starts just one week from today, on January 16, 2018. Join me! All the details are in this link, but if you have any questions, email me at [email protected]. Hope to see you "in class!"
I seem to have fallen into a natural pattern at this blog of posting only once per month, and let me tell you something: It feels good.
It's not as if nothing is happening in my life. I just got back with my family from a beautiful trip to Europe--Prague, the Netherlands, and Bruges--and I took literally thousands of pictures (a tiny handful of which are in this post). I'm still teaching online photography courses pretty much continuously (enrollment for another course has just opened, which you can read about at the bottom of this post and sign up if you like). I've just become vice president of our kids' school's Board of Trustees ("hooray!" and "yikes!" all at once). There's no shortage of things I could share. And yet...
I find myself wanting to keep more of my life close to me. In this ever-louder, over-sharing world, I can feel it in my bones that not everything needs to be said. Despite the Twitter mentality, not everything needs to be shared. Some things are more meaningful with personal reflection instead of public announcements. There is way too much digital clutter. And there is so much untapped beauty to be found in silence and solitude.
My father was a very private, quiet person, happiest when he was reading a book, walking in the woods behind our house, or working alone in his three gardens. He used to go away on annual retreats where the guests would be silent for the whole weekend. This was in the 1970's and as a kid, I was more than a little confused by the concept of silent retreats. Now, I enjoy the same quiet things my father enjoyed, with a camera thrown into the mix.
But it's a lot harder to find silence and solitude these days. When I was in Prague, I woke up at 5:45 am to try to catch the Charles Bridge in the golden light of dawn, before it was filled up with throngs of August tourists (of which I was one!). No such luck. Many other people had the same idea--particularly wedding photographers. In the picture below, if you look closely, you can see a bridal veil being held aloft by a photographer's assistant.
I still share on Instagram daily because it feels mentally good and creatively satisfying for me to select one of my photographs, tune it to my aesthetic standards (I'm tough on myself!), and add it to my "online art gallery" with a little caption. (This is called "micro-blogging" and I can see why it's caught on: less effort, less noise, more beautiful images shared.)
I now own three books with "silence" in the title:
As somebody who has lived in the northeastern United States my whole life (four different states, but still: the same region), I can get a little bit jaded when it comes to snow. This might have something to do with not being a kid anymore and therefore needing to drive occasionally in the aforementioned snow (not fun) and sometimes shovel it (only fun when followed by hot cocoa with mini marshmallows).
It's very easy for jaded adults to forget that snow is one of Mother Nature's greatest and most astonishing magic tricks.
Kids never grow tired of snow, do they? It's always new and fresh and the best surprise ever! Even if hot cocoa were subtracted from the equation, children would still adore it.
One of my favorite children's books, Snow by Cynthia Rylant, captures the pure poetry inherent in every snowfall. Her words give me warm shivers, taking me back to my childhood memories of snowy days in Connecticut. She writes: "Some snow falls only lightly, just enough to make you notice the delicate limbs of trees, the light falling from the lamppost, a sparrow's small feet."
It's true. Snow opens our eyes to the world again. Waking up to a hushed morning and peering out through the curtains to find the world covered in a sparkling white blanket--surely, that's a form of magic, isn't it?
"I would tell the teachers in our religious school, 'I don't want to hear that on the day of the first serious snowfall in winter, you called the children back from the window to return to page forty-three in the textbook. A young child's gasp of delight at the beauty of the snow will be as authentic a prayer, and as religiously grounded a response to the wonder and beauty of God's world, as anything in your lesson plan for that afternoon.' "
I love that. There are life lessons suffused in the snowflakes, lessons about wonder and delight and never losing sight of natural magic.
And then there's this lesson, again from Cynthia Rylant's book: "...the snow, while it is here, reminds us of this: that nothing lasts forever except memories."
Have a magical weekend, dear friends, and I'll see you back here in two weeks!
P.S. I've just finished teaching my newest (and quite possibly my favorite) online course, Soul Focus: Finding Peace Through Photography. I loved every single illuminating day with my students and can't wait to run it again! Make sure you're signed up (below) for my free monthly newsletter, Writing with Light, to get the first notice for all of my e-courses plus the Early Bird Discounts...
It's been a really rough year to have a blog with "Joyfully" in its name, let me tell you! Among other less-than-pleasant events, 2016 began with the death of David Bowie, then trudged on with earthquakes, wars, and wildfires, and is wrapping up with the U.S. being the most polarized I've seen it within my lifetime, thanks to a very long and bitter election season.
I'm not going to lie to you: There have been an awful lot of days this year when I've been in what I believe the mental health experts call "a funk."
And yet...there are only so many days I can drown my sorrows in salted caramel (godsend that it is). Sooner or later, the "fixer" in me kicks in and I want to try to make things better in some way. As a creative person, I know that art often arises out of dark feelings and experiences. But for me, it's also important to keep sight of what is still true, still beautiful.
Although I regularly take time to go outside and photograph nature, I found that I needed much more help as the year wore on to soothe my frazzled nerves.
I needed more books for guidance.
More art to lift my spirits.
More music to calm my mind.
More poetry that really spoke to me.
More creative ways to express my feelings.
(And of course, much more of the aforementioned salted caramel.)
Because I couldn't count on the world outside my door for stability, I looked for other ways to create more peace within myself. I began to journal about the things that gave me the most comfort, collecting all of the resources that uplifted and inspired me. It was no coincidence that these same resources nurtured a new idea of what I wanted to do creatively. Namely, create a brand-new online course, which I'm so very excited to share with you right now...
Soul Focus: Finding Peace Through Photography is about giving yourself the gift of quiet, contemplative time each day to focus on what is good, what is true, and what is beautiful.
It's about noticing more, appreciating more, savoring more.
It's about entering a gentle, sacred space of creativity.
It's about discovering what you can create with your camera (or your smart phone) when you embrace a more peaceful state of mind.
I'm so happy to be ending this year with something truly joyful. Will you join me for 14 days of soul-soothing creativity this January? (Do say "yes!")In the spirit of giving, I'm giving you $20 off this new e-course, good through December 23, 2016 only. (It would make a lovely holiday gift, too--no assembly or AAA batteries required!)
Today I find myself without the right words to send "out there" into the world, so I will retreat behind my lens and leave the wise words to the experts. (Remember: Just breathe...)
"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth." -- Henry David Thoreau, Walden
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter." -- Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
"Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn." -- John Muir, The Mountains of California
"Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place in the family of things." -- Mary Oliver
I've just gotten back from a week in Maine with my family and I think I've broken a new personal record for total number of vacation photos taken! (Major thanks to my husband for his near-saintly patience while I was off shooting--and even more so because our two kids were clicking along right behind me with their cameras.) Don't worry: I've culled down the snapshots for you here to just a handful of my favorites. Ready for your armchair tour of Mount Desert Island, or more specifically: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park? Let's go!
At the Acadia National Park Visitor Center, I bought a very helpful book called The Photographer's Guide to Acadia National Park by Jerry and Marcy Monkman. (From the book's dedication, it looks like they named one of their children "Acadia", so they really love this park!) In it, they write:
"Somesville...is home to probably the most photographed spot on this side of the island. Right in the center of town, the Somesville Historical Society maintains a beautiful white wooden bridge that forms an arch over a small mill pond. Check any postcard rack in Maine and you will probably find the picture that everyone takes of the bridge..."
That's the spot where I took the shot at the top of the page. It was like stepping straight into a fairy tale!
If you've been a reader here for a while (much appreciated), you already know that I am *completely* obsessed with taking macro shots of flowers and bugs, so a trip to Thuya Gardens in the Northeast Harbor was one of my first stops. The following three shots were taken there, and I could've easily spent days (okay, weeks!) taking pictures on the grounds.
Thuya Gardens has the largest dahlias I've ever seen. The one below seemed like it was about a foot wide, but I didn't have a ruler with me so don't quote me on it!
There's also a lush Monarch butterfly garden within Thuya Gardens, and I had good fun meeting up with the caterpillars...
I took the shot below at Asticou Azalea Garden. After my visit to Thuya Gardens, Asticou was a bit of a disappointment because very little was flowering this late in summer (therefore, not many critters to photograph either). It did have relaxing Japanese accents, though, so it was a pleasant place for a stroll on a hot day.
I'm glad the traffic wasn't heavy on Mount Desert Island because it was hard to drive for a mile straight without pulling over for pictures. (Have I thanked my poor, patient husband yet?)
Of course, we did the "usual Maine things": Eating boatloads of fresh lobster, sight-seeing, and whale-watching. I'm not going to include shots here of our whale-watching excursion because they'd just be "a fin here, a tail there", and it's one of those things that you really have to experience first-hand.
Naturally, we also hiked A LOT in Acadia National Park. I lagged behind the group because (you guessed it) I was busy snapping away. I mean, really--can you blame me? Look at these views!
Our whole group loved hiking the trails...
...especially Delilah!
On the last day of our vacation, we drove to the very top of Cadillac Mountain. I can't do justice to the incredible panorama, but here's my attempt, with a view towards the Porcupine Islands. (I love that name!)
Maine is a great, big lungful of cool, fresh air. The kids are already busily planning our next visit!
I'm so happy to tell you that my "globe-trotting friend" Michael Graziano is back from another extraordinary adventure abroad and once again, he's very kindly letting me share it with you here! If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you already know that Michael shared his amazing trip to Hawaii and his picture-perfect trip to New Zealand. This time, he headed off for three months to Thailand, with a side trip to Cambodia, and his pictures (taken with his trusty iPhone) are just as jaw-droppingly beautiful as ever!
At this point, you might be wondering, "How on earth does this guy afford all of these awesome adventures that go on for months? Is he a millionaire or what?!" Well, first of all, he's working for room & board during these "vacations." But I love the real reason he's traveling the world: A dear friend who was his elementary school teacher in Connecticut passed away and left him an inheritance (she had no children), divided with two other former students whom she'd kept in touch with through the years. In elementary school, she taught Michael how to make a pinhole camera. It seems so poetic and poignant that all of these years later, he's using her generous and extraordinary gift to take once-in-a-lifetime pictures of the world far and wide.
The following quotes are Michael's updates from Facebook, and all of the photographs in this post are his, taken with his iPhone (all used with his kind permission, of course!).
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January 13, 2016: "Day 3 at the New Life Foundation outside of Chiang Rai. We are awoken by a quiet gong at 6:00 am each day for meditation or yoga at 6:30. I completely slept through it the first day. The morning mist is quite magical and worth waking up for."
January 14, 2016: "I will teach my first yoga class in Thailand early tomorrow morning in this open air pavilion. We face the east looking out over the garden so the class can watch the sun rise."
January 16, 2016: "On Sunday, there is no formal meditation or yoga so I was able to sleep today until the glorious hour of 6:45 am. The mornings and evenings are chilly with temperatures falling into the 50's but the days are warm and sunny, reaching the 80's in the late afternoon. It is quite extraordinary how being somewhere tropical in the winter elevates my mood. It's as if my base level happiness switch is raised by 50 percent."
January 20, 2016: "Every morning we are required to do a couple of hours of working meditation which is mostly physical work, such as gardening, making mud bricks, building houses--done a bit more slowly and mindfully."
January 22, 2016: "I love this little island in the lake on the property here, and especially the lone brave tree on it standing guard."
January 23, 2016: "Sending some late afternoon sun and warmth from Thailand to my East Coast friends in another Snowmageddon."
January 26, 2016: "We've had a couple of days of solid rain and cold, very unusual for Thailand. Buildings don't have any heating because it's a tropical climate so everyone is bundled in several layers of clothes, hats and gloves or wrapped in blankets, even indoors. The daytime high was only 48 degrees. Just a couple of days ago it was 85 degrees."
January 28, 2016: "It's the last sunset before going silent for a week starting tomorrow. I am joining a 7-day insight meditation retreat with about 30 others. I've thought about doing a vipassana retreat like this for the last couple of years. It's held in silence the entire time so no talking, no texting, no emailing, no Facebook until February 6th."
February 6, 2016: "Morning has broken and the silence is broken. The silence was relatively easy, the meditation less so. Sometimes the body ached, sometimes the mind wouldn't stop moving, other times I got sleepy or bored. But my senses were incredibly heightened and there were some strong moments of clarity, release and insight. I am glad I can now talk again!"
February 6, 2016 (later): "It continually surprises me who I most connect with on my travels. Jessy and Olivia are 20-year-old students from China. We had lots of laughs here before they returned to Shanghai. They had never done lip syncing before so I taught them how and we performed together at an open mic. They had never heard of Motown so we did "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross and The Supremes. And yes, we sang into spoons. Things are very low-tech in rural Thailand."
February 10, 2016: "I am fascinated by the yellow silk cotton trees that line the property. They have no leaves so looking at them in silhouette, they appear almost dead. But their branches are covered with buds of flowers that blossom after hitting the ground. These are used to create the mandalas that appear every day before the morning community meeting."
February 14, 2016: "On Saturday I left the countryside for the city of Chiang Rai, about a half hour song tau ride away. Visited local temples. Went to the night market. Ate interesting local foods. And bought some Thai pants to teach yoga in."
February 20, 2016: "Took a field trip this afternoon to the kitschy White Temple. Michael Jackson, Elvis and Batman are included on the shrine walls inside. Over-the-top!"
February 22, 2016:"I begin another silent meditation retreat today. This one is only 5 days long. So no speaking, reading, listening to music, emailing, texting or Facebook until next weekend. Namaste."
February 27, 2016:"I have just finished my second silent meditation retreat in a month. This one was easier to slip into coming just two weeks after the last one. Lots of psychology and neurobiology included in the dharma talks this time. And it was led by two folks from Dharma Punx NYC. Interesting to make a connection with people from my own backyard across the world in Thailand."
February 29, 2016: "The vegetable garden here is bordered by annual flowers. About 60 percent of the food we eat is grown on property."
March 3, 2016: "The light over the nearby lakes is beautiful just after sunset. Reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Jonatha Brooke and The Story."
In the gloaming, oh my darling When the lights are soft and low And the quiet shadows falling Softly come and softly go
When the trees are sobbing faintly With a gentle unknown woe Will you think of me and love me As you did once long ago?
March 5, 2016: "Visiting the city of Chiang Mai for the weekend. No, the monks are not praying. They are on their mobile devices. Even in Thailand. I miss the rotary phone."
March 8, 2016: "Only one day left for me at New Life Foundation. One last yoga class to teach. One last morning meeting where I'll say goodbye to new friends. It's been a wonderful experience. Next up is Cambodia."
March 10, 2016: "Made it to Cambodia where it is dog-days-of-summer hot. Well over 100 degrees."
March 13, 2016: "Got up at 4:30 this morning to meet my tuk-tuk driver, Hooch, to watch the sunrise over the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century by one of the kings from the Khmer Empire. It was impossible to get a photo capturing its grandeur. Angkor Wat is considered the 7th man-made wonder of the world. Built in the classical style of Khmer architecture, it is surrounded by a huge moat, covers over 500 acres, rises almost 700 feet and took 30 years to build. Being here, it's hard to imagine it was built almost 1,000 years ago."
March 14, 2016: "I visited the Bayon Temple which sits in the middle of the ancient Kmher city of Angkor Thom, which had over one million inhabitants during the Middle Ages at the time when the population of London was just 50,000. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century, it represents the baroque style of Khmer architecture as opposed to the classical style of Angkor Wat. Its signature is more than 200 huge smiling faces which appear at the top of the towers."
March 15, 2016: "I visited the picturesque Ta Prohm temple outside Siem Reap. Built in the late 12th century, it is one of the few temples that's been left in the same condition as when it was found, with trees growing out of the ruins and roots holding up walls."
March 17, 2016: "I have left Cambodia and its incredible temples and kind people and returned to Thailand. Just took a long tail boat to Railay Beach where I will be for the next couple of days."
March 21, 2016: "I went hiking in Ko Lanta National Park this morning. After climbing down to the beach in the photo below, I found Scottish friends Nicky and Martin sitting on a swing. Such a sweet surprise--I didn't even know they were here! After hellos and hugs, they gave me a bottle of water to quench my thirst. The beach monkey below had other ideas and decided it belonged to her."
March 22, 2016: "I am loving watching the Thai monkeys on the rocky beach."
March 26, 2016: "Easter Sunday. Got up early. Watched the sun rise over the bay at low tide."
March 27, 2016: "There is almost always a boat nearby the Thai beaches where I've spent the last couple of weeks. Headed to the mountains and jungle of Koh Sok National Park today."
March 31, 2016: "To celebrate my birthday, I took a ride on an elephant and took a ride in a boat to spend the night in a floating bungalow on Chian Lake. The bungalow was bamboo. The boat was wood. The elephant was named Cell Phone."
April 3, 2016: "The lotus flower represents spiritual rebirth in Buddhism. Growing out of the dark mud representing suffering, it emerges clean and beautiful representing enlightenment. A lovely metaphor and I'm always happy to see these flowers each day in Thailand."
April 3, 2016: "I am coming up on my final days in Thailand. My travels last year in New Zealand and Hawaii were a mid-life attempt to let go of things that weren't serving me anymore. This year's journey was about looking at what I want to keep and develop as I enter the next life phase. I didn't find all the answers but I feel I'm closer, so it's a good time to head back. Still, I am anxious. New York City, as stimulating and wonderful as it is, can be a hard and dark place, especially during times of transition. Better soak up the light here while I can."
April 5, 2016: "Heading to Bangkok today. Sleep for a few hours. Then an early plane back to NYC. A few long travel days. I hope to keep up the yoga teaching as I look for a full-time job upon my return. I love working with beginners and with people who think their bodies "can't do yoga." Small group classes at my apartment and private sessions to start. Off to the taxi to the boat to the plane..."
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Well, I don't know about you, but I feel a LOT more relaxed after that vicarious trip to Asia. Thanks so much, Michael, for letting me share your beautiful and always thoughtful adventures!
I just got back from a lovely ski weekend in Great Barrington, MA with my family. (Well, to be technical, my husband and daughter went skiing, my son went snowboarding, and I went photographing!) While I'd love to show you some pictures from the ski trip, I thought you might like a little break from all of the snow and ice lately...to take a little vicarious vacation to Hawaii!
Aside from a couple of posts featuring the work of my photography students, I've featured other photographers here only twicebefore. But I'm making an exception again, for one of my nearest and dearest friends, Michael Graziano, whom I've known since we were 16 years old, when we met at a summer arts program for high school students at Wesleyan University.
Michael and I are birds of a feather. We both grew up in Connecticut; we both lived in New York City for many years, where we were both in creative fields; and we're both crazy about the music of Neil Finn and Liam Finn (but oddly, not Tim Finn). He's one of those friends that no matter how much time passes between get-togethers, we start right up where we left off. (I love that kind of friendship, don't you?)
For the past twenty years, Michael worked at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and as its Producing Director, he helped raise millions of dollars for its charitable efforts. Last August, he decided to step down from his high-profile job and step out into the Great Unknown. I've been thoroughly enjoying his Facebook updates (let's be honest: how many friends can you say that about?), and I'm betting you'll enjoy this armchair trip, too.
The following quotes are Michael's updates from Facebook, and all of the photographs in this post are his, taken with his iPhone (all used with his permission, of course!).
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September 23, 2014: "An adventure begins this week. I am off to live in Hawaii for 4 months, volunteering at Kalani retreat on the Big Island. I'll be living in a tent, which I bought from an Italian gal who is leaving for Costa Rica. I am bringing few possessions--clothes, some good books, a journal, my good-luck necklace that I bought in Amsterdam when I was 20 years old. I will be living in the shadow of the Kilauea volcano, nature's reminder of its own awesome power. How will I be touched, humbled and changed by dangerous Pele, the ancient Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes?"
October 15, 2014: "I am making friends with some new members of the animal kingdom here in Hawaii such as this gecko. There are also the feral cats that live on the property and are very sweet. Less friendly are the wild pigs that roam around my tent at night but they scare easily. I am trying to avoid the dreaded fire ants which pack quite a sting. Sea turtles can be seen in the ocean nearby but so far they have only poked their heads and shells out of the water and not ventured onto the land. So many living things to encounter!"
October 26, 2014: "The lava approaches. We shall see what Madame Pele has in store for us this week. The closest town may have to evacuate but we are not currently in the lava path. It will likely cross the highway, though, so we will be cut off from civilization as new roads are made. The lava changes its path and rate of flow all the time so nothing is certain."
November 15, 2014: "This guy has been living in the shower stall for a few days now. Seems to be friendly so far."
December 10, 2014: "When I arrived in Puna in October, it was hot, humid and rained every day. Now that we are in the 'rainy season' of December, it is glorious with the sun shining, lower humidity, cooler nights and no rain for days. Perfect holiday weather."
December 24, 2014: "These palm trees looked to me like snowflakes against the sky. Happy Christmas Eve from Hawaii!"
January 12, 2015: "Night falls over my tent."
January 13, 2015: "Cats. There must be close to 100 feral cats on property, fed by animal-loving volunteers and whatever they can find in the jungle. These cats act like dogs, begging for food or attention. This is Wilbur."
January 17, 2015: "Sunset at Mauna Kea into the clouds at almost 14,000 feet."
January 18, 2015: "Goodbye Kalani! I depart today after 3 and a half months filled with laughter, challenge and creativity. I shaved off my beard and hair yesterday in prep for the next leg of the trip. Time for new growth. I'll be exploring the islands for the rest of the month and head to New Zealand in February. Aloha Kalani friends!"
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Safe travels, Michael, and thanks for letting me share a little part of your Hawaiian adventure here! I hope New Zealand is EVEN BETTER! xox Joy
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I now return you to your regularly scheduled weather. (How GORGEOUS were those pics?!)
I've lost count of how many times I've visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York, but I can tell you this: It never gets old for me.
There's something equally comforting and eerily magical about visiting the Hall of African Mammals and seeing the wise, old face of the lion--again. He's my favorite animal in the whole museum (with a respectful nod to the 94-foot-long, 21,000-pound Blue Whale that somehow hovers weightlessly above us).
The museum itself is a study in opposites. It alternates between darkness and golden light. (If I had to pick one color for it, I'd pick cinnamon.) It's crowded--always!--but as you study the tiniest details of the exquisite dioramas, a part of you fades into them and it feels like you're the only person in the world.
I visited the museum this past Saturday with my children--not for the first time. I think I've lost count of their visits as well. As they dashed from one diorama to another, they were mesmerized, balanced in a place of peacefulness and wonder. I felt it, too. It's a warm feeling that washes over me every time I walk through the doors.
I hope the week ahead is full of peaceful wonder for you.
Start off the new year with a new skill: My photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You" will be running again this January! Save $15 with the Early Bird Discount if you enroll before Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST. (If giving the course as a gift, please let me know the name and email of the student in the PayPal comment section at checkout.)Click here for details and registration.
Although it's typical for me to forget where I left my eyeglasses on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, I can still remember the front page of The New York Times from September 1, 1997. My boyfriend (now husband) and I were coming back from a long and lovely Labor Day weekend away with his parents. We hadn't turned on a TV or radio the whole time, the internet was in its infancy, and there were no such things as iPhones and iPads. But there it was, the newspaper on his doorstep, waiting for us with a large headline that at first perplexed us:
"Charles accompanies Diana back home to a grieving Britain"
It wasn't long before we, too, were plugged back into the worldwide news of sadness and shock. Even if you go on a "news diet" for a few days, the Big News most definitely will catch up to you.
Depressing as it can be, it's not so much the Big News that worries me. It's the "little" news, the faux news, the non-news that has a way of insinuating itself into our everyday lives like an airborne virus. The Big News may catch up to us, but it's the Little News that sticks in our throat like a nasty cough that never quite goes away.
In the book Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter, author Elaine St. James writes about two of her friends: "He is a physicist; she is an artist. They've never watched the news on television. While most other people are reading the morning news, this couple is reading their favorite novels. They are well-educated, literate, interesting, vital people who long ago came to the conclusion that reading the daily newspaper did not contribute to their mental or emotional well-being, and they arranged their lives accordingly." As the author says, "Cutting back on the negative input you're subjected to every day is a positive step toward simplifying your life."
I've never been a newspaper person, but as I admitted in "Changing the Focus", I used to be a chronic Huffington Post reader, checking in to the latest headlines several times a day. It made me a little nuts and a lot depressed, so I gave it up and haven't looked back. The truth of the matter, at least for me, is that the news I "need" to know finds me (with social media, it's a given), and if I want further information on a news story, it's ready and waiting for me with a few clicks. (News is like that: eager and available.)
So, unless your job requires you to be plugged in to the minutiae of the universe, consider a "news diet." Start slowly: Try one morning without reading the news. Read a book or listen to music instead. Or go for a walk. Or cuddle with the dog. Anything but scanning the headlines. See if you feel better or worse. I know how I felt, and how I still feel, without the endless barrage of "news."
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How 'bout you? Are you a news junkie or a news avoider? How long could you go without checking the latest headlines? Could you put yourself on a news diet? Let's hear it in the comments section below! (Email subscribers: Click on the blue title of the post to get to the main site; then you'll see the comments section at the bottom.)
