Ramblings - First published April 2020
Ramblings from David
It’s sometimes hard to say what the thing is that caught the eye – partly because it is more than what is physically there. After walking for hours in a forest, while visiting the United States, I stopped and looked at something that seemed to shine with a peaceful beauty. I tried to photograph it but even before I got to my camera I was certain that the essence of what I was trying to capture would be lost. Much to my surprise the original image had retained some of the special quality – it was seen when viewing the whole rather than looking at an individual aspect.
I was recently out walking locally. It was a beautiful spring day. The ancient woodland has deer – very shy and hard to spot. While standing next to a tree about 20 of the deer ran past almost within touching distance. As I turned to look I startled them but for some reason, instead of running away they all stopped, turned to look at me and walked cautiously towards me. I just stood there looking back, not sure what to do. After about 2 minutes of enjoying the moment I got out my camera which in itself did not bother the deer but as soon as I tried to point it at them they ran – the moment had gone but felt special and was a highlight of the beautiful spring day.
Most people agree that a beautiful spring day is a beautiful spring day. What makes it a beautiful day is more than just one aspect - that sense of appreciation seems to originate in a place in the mind that is not analysing. Trying to analyse a beautiful thing can quite quickly dissolve the moment of enjoying it for what it is. Something that is beyond description however, such as love or beauty, is often the spur for many of our creative works – finding a continuous stream of desire to say something to portray or encapsulate the essence of a wonderful thing. None ever encompass what it truly is but that is one of the joys of living – the mystery being the fuel of life.
There is often a common consensus, sometimes grudgingly, about which women look beautiful. This can be due to a blend of physical features but there is so much more exceeding the physical boundaries. If we were to look more closely at a beautiful woman, would that person be less beautiful if she had just eaten and the battling bacteria within her became the focus of assessment to decide if she was beautiful or not? Would the war within force a reassessment of the beauty? Stepping back and looking at the whole can reaffirm what your senses are telling you.
The world is much the same – life is a miracle, it is a beautiful place. It will throw up things that if looked at seem to be in conflict with beauty. Life on Earth is full of things that can appear savage that could lead the mind to conclusions that prevent it from enjoying the bigger picture. Stepping back and looking at the whole can rekindle what is special, allowing joy and a gentleness for life to fill your moments.
