Enchantment invites us to pause and to be arrested by whatever is before us; instead of our doing something, something is done to us. This is the way of the soul, which is primarily the receptive power in us; by letting ourselves be slowed down and affected by nature, we are fashioned into persons of substance, even if at a more active, conscious level we are forcefully engaged in becoming something else. Thomas Moore.
My thoughts are to just offer the above words and photographs like I did yesterday yet at another level there is more creative juice desiring to be expressed. The words and ideas in Re-enchantment are so refreshing in so many ways… offering views I have not witnessed for a while. If that makes sense.
The heat had made going outside so oppressive that spending time photographing anything was not really an option, the moments being outside where more to get from one place to another, but never really to enjoy, for the pleasure of a walk was taken away by 100 plus degree heat, the stillness where birds didn’t even sing, the sadness of the plants all dry and dropping along the paths, making one wonder why they are even still alive at all, they have to be really reaching down into their wells for a hint of water.
To keep my well juiced I have found sources of refreshing language, inspiring lives, creative work of people who are creative artist themselves. I heard the message to pick up “The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life” I had a copy that has been sitting in pile in my room, but I had come across the volume a few times in other places. I have had this book for years, I had even begun to read it but put it down because I was not ready for it than. There was a time because of my love affaire with Conversations with God books, other spiritual books lacked much interest or felt unappealing, even through many books are suggested by Neale Donald Walsch/God throughout the Conversations with God series.
Re-Enchantment along with Pronoia the wondrously outrageous writings of Rob Brezsny the river of ideas, inspiration, creativity have bathed me in renewing activity of the senses. That included a trip to the Town Center formerly the Mall, to a week-long used book sale with my friend Linda, which included a journey over to the library so she could use their computers while I perused the videos and books-selves. Finding the selection of videos a bit wanting I headed the Photography section, and glad I did! First of all, the light in the area had been fixed, second the selves were neat and orderly, not always the case in under visited areas of the library. I had just bought a half a dozen books so why was I looking for more books? Why was I in the photography section, the line of books informed me of that. I found a biography of Ansel Adams, not someone I am really drawn too but someone I thought could shed some light of photography and nature. Plus there is the wondrous “street photography” book, Bystander: A History of Street Photography, an over sized packed to the gills with wondrous photographs from the late 1800, into the 1970’s.
So I get to travel back and forth in places around the world, capturing moments of city streets, everyday moments and moments that caused history to change. I get to read about a man who was not only a photographer, a nature photographer, considered to be one of the finest nature photographers, but also a life long member of the Sierra Club .
I thought there was more to this… it didn’t feel finished but I am going to let it go now! ( a few hours after writing).
the reluctant bloger 