July 18, 2004
Riding the Arthur Jones
Here's the Arthur Jones memorial insight this morning -- I came upon several things that I felt "spoiled the view" -- items that,in my opinion, did not improve the environment aesthetically. 1. the multiple new "Keep Out" signs in baby poop brown along the bluff, instructing us firmly to keep out of a place one would never dream of going, due to the cliff-like angle of the drop 2. the yellow plastic floating slide that goes with the yellow plastic paddle boats, that go with the blue plastic kayaks, and the crudely hand lettered signs that accompany all of the above 3. the styrofoam cup/litter
Earlier this summer I had a complaint about a Grecian front stapled onto a charming Victorian cottage that also mars my vista. Since I have turned my attention to the issue, eyesores have burgeoned. Esther Hicks, channelling Abraham , would say that in order to stop the trend, it would be best to change my emotional stance toward the eyesores at hand. Really change it. This is perfect practice for changing other things that are currently dissatisfactory in my life, like my membership in the Chubb City Chunkettes. Starting with something smaller is highly recommended. Photography is a perfect vehicle for this practice. I will see if I can become curious about eyesores, photographically, and capture their true beauty.
It was recently pointed out to me, as I ordered the mowing down of weeds, that all I would have to do was photograph them, and then I wouldn't consider them weeds.
Thich Nhat Hanh , the Vietnamese Buddist monk. gets the prize for transformation of this sort. During the Vietnam war, whenever he heard a bomb drop, he used the sound, as he did the temple bells, as a call to mindfulness . He now has a completely idyllic retreat in France, called Plum Village. Seems like it worked for him.
Photo note: Three of four.
Posted by Dakota at July 18, 2004 09:59 PM