"...The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page..." St. Augustine

 

W.B. Yeats

"Art includes everything that stimulates the desire to live." Remy De Gourmont

"...Nature never taught me that there exists a God of glory and infinite majesty. I had to learn that in other ways. But nature gave the word glory a meaning for me. I still do not know where else I could have found one. I do not see how the "fear" of God could have ever meant to me anything but the lowest prudential efforts to be safe, if I had never seen certain ominous ravines and unapproachable crags..." C.S. Lewis

"Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts." Walker Evans

"Love is love's reward." John Dryden

"...Think and let think..." John Wesley

"Every man's memory is his private literature." Aldous Huxley

"Memory is a crazy woman that hoards colored rags and throws away food." Austin O'Malley

1•13•11

Today I thought about how it may be nice if I were one of those people that remembered when I peeled an orange for the first time, or one that was able to recall the smell of an October evening, my first sunrise, the first time I picked up a book I actually enjoyed.... etc.

...after considering this for a few sparse moments, I realized how much would be taken away from me if I were someone who retained such information; quite frankly, it's not a part of who I am. I am intrigued by those that remember such events with great detail and often find myself jealous of their 'talent,' but who am I to excuse my absent mindedness as an inability in and of itself? Who am I to suggest either way of memory is the 'right' way? It's such intriguing things that draw me closer to others. 

...with that, I've chosen to accept this about myself as a talent. My ability to harbor anger or bitterness is greatly inhibited because of this talent, and I find myself often sitting in some form of a peaceful awareness due to my nature of not considering every detail critical to my memory. I must admit, I have brushed over crucial pieces of information from time to time (namely in my listening), yet I refuse to let my lack of remembrance mark those words as being insignificance or unimportant details. I've thankfully been blessed with extremely forgiving friends and family members, who have no problem reminding me of details particularly important to them. 

...I know I cherish the things in my memory that are of utmost importance to me; I refuse to beat myself up for not recalling what fingernail polish I wore in 8th grade - yet in the same breath, I am in awe of those who do, and may even recall pieces of their lives in place of mine. 

...being simply aware of our vast differences is growing on me in the form of appreciation as opposed to contradictions, conflicts, clashes, mismatches... it's our array of variation that form the whole, and the whole is such a beautiful thing with each of us there. 

This, I suppose, was my feeble attempt today to appreciate the here and now. The who I am, who you are, who they are, and most importantly: who we all are. Together.

 Old Memory, William Butler Yeats

O thought, fly to her when the end of day

Awakens an old memory, and say,

"Your strength, that is so lofty and fierce and kind,

It might call up a new age, calling to mind

The queens that were imagined long ago,

Is but half yours:he kneaded in the dough

Through the long years of youth, and who would have thought

It all, and more than it all, would come to naught,

And that dear words meant nothing?"But enough,

For when we have blamed the wind we can blame love;

Or, if there needs be more, be nothing said

That would be harsh for children that have strayed. 

"The best lay in town is a poem" Daniel Ladinsky

a super pal of mine ( laura allen -- http://la365project.blogspot.com/ ) talked me into doing the 365 project … both of us are into taking photos on our excursions-so what a great way to have a reason to always being taking photos.

Basically, my plan is on taking a photo or two every day -- I will then plan on posting a week's worth of photos every week -- or post a daily photo -- I'm certain it will depend on the day, week, or month...follow and enjoy the ride, or ignore me like a plague - the choice is up to you.

"To be always thinking about your manners is not the way to make them good;
the very perfection of manners is not to think about yourself." Richard Whately

wandering

"Accept me as a wanderer, who from birth was made to stray from the sight of his brothers and sisters, his guides, his mentors, his comforters." Henry Miller
Two days ago I chased the sunset. and ran like a free bird. I knew my wings wouldn't work, but it didn't stop me from trying. Life is about trying. learning. living. and mostly loving. and I loved every single second of it.