
December 26, 2017. The Sea Ranch, Sonoma Coast, California. It had been stormy. We spent Christmas hunkered down. The coast had been battered with wind and rain. For the longest time, it seemed, we weren’t sure if it would go on and on or if the rage would finally be over. We drifted off into an uneasy sleep with nothing resolved. The morning was still unsettled. But then suddenly it was over. The midday brought calming weather as the Earth shook off the pummeling it had recently endured. We were bathed a sense of optimism we hadn’t felt in some time.
And so it is here.
But as it is here, the horizon is perched on a precarious balance. Where, exactly, does light become dark or dark become light?
That’s up to us.
We’ve heard the word “healing” often in the past few days. An appropriate term.
We can say with some truth that certain individuals have been stirring the pot. They seem to be out, but they won’t leave without a fight. But the more important fact we must face is that the pot was already there to be stirred and the pot is made up of all of us — or at least nearly all of us. There may be a saint out there that I’m unaware of.
For years I’ve heard people on all sides say that they don’t understand, can’t fathom, can’t or won’t tolerate the viewpoint on the other side. They act superior. They say derogatory things, criticize, berate, and too often threaten. I say “they” as is I’ve never been a part of it. I wish.
There is healing to be done. Almost all people are good people at heart. They have their experiences, joys and hardships, beliefs, biases, and blind spots. Some are hard to understand.
But honest conversations with real give-and-take — face-to-face, not on social media — can work wonders.
It’s up to us.
(Nikon D750; Nikon 28-300 f/3.5-5.6G Zoom. RAW processing in DxO Pro; Editing in Adobe Photoshop.)
More Fine-Art Photography at www.amagaphoto.com