This is not the most impressive photo that I’ve ever posted.  But…it does have something to teach us.  When you look closely at the image you will see…geese…ducks…a couple of varieties of terns...dowitchers (I think that’s what they are…I’m a photographer not a birder) and a seagull or two.  In spite of their differences in size, personality, personal preference or where they happen to come from these birds can be together without hostility, discomfort or fear.  To state the obvious…what’s our problem?  How about we, who pride ourselves at being on the top of the intellectual food chain, take a lesson from God’s creatures?  Of course…if a hawk suddenly appeared...the story would change dramatically…but then again…if it were a dove…??  I pray that one day humanity will learn to get along.  

   

       The other day my wife, Brenda, and I took a trip to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Preserve to check out the potential for photography.  Needless to say, I took some camera gear along.  I also took enough money ($12) to purchase a pass for the year only to discover that since I’m 62 or older I could buy a lifetime pass for $2 less!  (You just gotta love this senior citizen scam!)  Well, there was more good news…plenty of birds.  We came to a pond and there were at least 6 or 7 varieties of birds resting, feeding, and flying around.  I set up my gear took some shots mostly for identification purposes and moved on only to come upon another pond with egrets galore, Greats and Snowys (read big and little).  They were in the pond.  They were in the trees.  They were strutting and flying and yes, one even appeared to be posing.  I had a great time.  As we were leaving the preserve I noticed, out over the water, what appeared to be an eagle so I set up again only to lose sight of the bird but then, what should come flying along, but a group of egrets and so I fired off a series of shots in the hope that something might be decent.  A great day!  Until I got home and downloaded the pics.  For some reason, no doubt because of operator error (I screwed up) every shot, except one, was blurry!  Now please…I know how to operate my cameras!  But…evidently, I wasn’t paying attention.  Apparently…I was a tad bit over-confident and overlooked something ridiculously simple and basic.  The results were more than disappointing

We do that a lot in life.  We take things for granted.  We overlook the obvious.  We become over-confident when dealing with the routine and then…oops!  Moral of the story…stay humble…pay attention…avoid the silly little mistakes that can ruin a good day. 

So what about that one pic that wasn’t blurry?  Well…you tell me.

That photo just goes to show that even when we’re not at the top of our game every once in a while we can be lucky!

            Recently when I posted this pic of a Praying Mantis on Facbook, my favorite Irish Buddhist Monk (yes, I really do have a favorite Irish Buddhist Monk!) commented that it should be known as a “preying” mantis.  I’ve been thinking about his observation all week and wondering whether many of us spend more time “praying” or “preying”.  It’s pretty easy to keep track of our prayer time.  Generally, that’s something that we can measure with a watch or a clock.  Oh sure, we sneak in an extra minute or two when we pause to look at something beautiful or spend a moment reflecting on the meaning of life and love but in reality most of us could, if we’re honest, put a number on our “prayer” time.  But how about the time we spend “preying”?  I’m talking about those moments when we take advantage of others or put our own desires ahead of someone’s genuine needs.  What about the times when we obnoxiously impose our opinions on the people around us and overlook or ignore the pain we have caused through our actions or inactions.  And yes, let’s not forget the countless times that we speak in anger over a perceived slight, a petty annoyance or just because it makes us feel righteous, important or momentarily (and falsely) powerful.  Do we spend more time “praying” or “preying”?  It’s not mine to judge…except for myself.  Hope you do better at “praying” than I do!

            I spent a fair amount of time this morning immersing myself in my new Sunday morning routine…reading…really reading the newspaper!  As I digested articles about the concerns and controversies surrounding our Presidential candidates, a recent surge in opioid overdoses and the outrageous interest rates charged by the payday loan industry I began to wonder…why am I spending my time reading this!?  Yes, I need to be informed.  There is no doubt that it’s important for folk like me to become educated and engaged so that the problems of our society might be addressed and people’s lives transformed for the better.  But is this really the way I want to start my day?  Perhaps the beginning of one’s day might be better spent reading something that uplifts and enlightens like Buddha by Karen Armstrong.  Maybe, just maybe, the dawning of a new day of life might be enhanced by processing birthday party pics and reflecting upon the joy of watching a grandson chasing a balloon or a photo of a graceful dive (well, okay, how about a chaotic toss) into the pool.  First thing in the morning, how about taking a walk and listening to the birds rejoice as the sun slowly rises?  Then again, what if we decided that we would begin everyday by being intentional about opening our eyes to the beauty around us?  I’ve always been a news junky…but you know…maybe I should save it for later in the day after I’ve bathed my brain and my soul in the positive, the beautiful, and the sacred.  I think I might just give it a try.

 

            Through the years I’ve read countless books, articles, and blogs on photography techniques and composition.  I know that in an ideal world, when photographing wildlife in the field, my lens should be parallel to my shadow within 10 or 15 degrees to get great lighting on the face of the subject.  I also know that on that perfect planet I don’t want a blade of grass (even if it’s out focus due to depth of field) to appear in my shot because it obscures the image and distracts the eye from what is important.  But when I drove around a bend in the road and saw a young fox looking for breakfast I had a couple of choices…wait for the perfect moment…ask the fox to please strike a pose in a location with better lighting and cleaner foreground…or…take the shot in spite of its potential imperfections.  Needless to say, I chose to take the shot without hesitation and a moment later, without striking the perfect pose…the fox ducked into the cornstalks.

            So often in life, when we’re faced with decisions to be made or opportunities to be seized we wait, we hesitate and procrastinate because we’re not certain that everything will be perfect and then we are disappointed when the moment passes and we are left with a distant dream of what could have been or should have been.  Life isn’t and never will be perfect.  All we can do is trust ourselves, trust the people around us, and yes, if we believe…trust God...and take the shot.  Will everything be perfect…probably not…but having tried and learned maybe next time…it will be.   

            

            Not too long ago my daughter sent me a photo of a tiny scallop shell that she had found on the beach in front of the family cottage on Nantucket.  She captioned the image with these simple but profound words: “Sometimes if you look really hard you find the tiniest treasures.” 

            Often it’s hard to see the beauty and the tiny treasures that surround us because our senses are sometimes overwhelmed by political rhetoric which seems to foster only anger, prejudice and fear.  On top of all of that, we are inundated daily with grim news of senseless violence, horrific fires and floods, as well as humanity’s cruelty to the very planet we call home and to the precious creatures that live upon this earth.  Yes, it is easy to become blind to the good and the beautiful if we only pay attention to the sensational and the negative.

            Yet there are treasures all around us…the gentle birdsong that awakens us in the morning…the smile of a loved one, a friend, a total stranger who is moved by our kindness…the tiny scallop shell nestled in the sand just waiting for someone to come along and celebrate it’s simple loveliness.  There is beauty in this world…there are tiny treasures waiting to be discovered that will bring warmth to our hearts and a smile to our faces if we just take the time to look “really hard.”

It’s wonderful when a plan becomes a reality.  Retirement has always felt so far away.  I’ve hoped for it…longed for it amid the pressures, anxiety and yes, the joy of ministry.  Through it all the dream of retirement has been there…the dream of a time when I can follow my call to capture moments of beauty through photography…a time when I have the opportunity to write for pleasure…when I feel like it…without a deadline…a time when I can awake in the morning, walk the dog and take a bike ride without feeling the butterflies in the stomach because of a meeting, a pressing concern or a thousand details to oversee.  Retirement, a new community, new home, family nearby, fun projects to entertain the heart and the mind is a reality.  Blessings abound.

I couldn’t help but be captivated by the simple beauty and tenacity of the Morning Glories that have sought the sun by climbing the corn stalks at the edge of the field across from our new home.  Slowly but surely their vines have crept around the stalks climbing ever higher in search of light until at last they blossom into beauty.  Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from the Morning Glories when it comes rising above the ordinary, the hum drum and the crowd that is satisfied clinging to the safety of limited vision.  Seek the sun…the light…tenaciously rise ever higher to capture a new view of the world around and who knows maybe, just maybe our lives will at last burst into beauty.