Day 10: Clarity Above the Fog
Day 10: January 10: 2014: Twin Peaks
Mornings like this, wow, these are my favorite. I could have missed this. I could have slept in and gone straight to work. Normally, I would have. How many days have I slept in and missed an amazing morning? This is why I love a project like this one. This is why I do it. It pushes me when I need a push. Sure, some days I’m not happy with what I find, or I just don’t want to do it, but the pressure keeps me going. It forces me into places and situations that I wouldn’t reach on my own. It pushes my boundaries and expands my horizons, while showing me how much beauty is out there, and how much more I have to discover.
Many people can lead a perfectly happy existence without ever pushing their boundaries. Hell, I did it for a couple decades without seeing anything wrong with it at the time and would have been perfectly happy to continue indefinitely. However, that was not to be.
I blame California.
Moving here on short notice, I knew little about the place or what I wanted from the world. The only certainty was that this would be a short-term stay: 1 or 2 years max. Now, 7+ years later, looking back on a wealth of experiences that I wouldn’t trade for the world, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. My experiences here and beyond have pushed my limits in ways I could never have predicted.
No matter how many of these boundaries I cross, the next one doesn’t come any easier. I’ve come to expect that it will always be awkward, stressful, exhausting, painful, or all of the above (and trust me, I do awkward REALLY well). The difference comes in knowing that there is something better on the other side: knowing that it will be worth it in the end.
What drives you? What frightens you? What wonders are your self-imposed limits causing you to miss in the world? Are you willing to take a chance to find out?
These were my thoughts on a morning above the fog. A morning that could easily have been lost to sleeping in, or even worse, a commute.
(Mix of Fuji Velvia 50 shot with Canon Sureshot A1 SLC P27 and expired Kodak Gold Max 800 shot with the thrift shop Canon EOS 650)
