Sunday, May 24, 2009

Debris

This photo is from May 20. I made it the wallpaper on my computer desktop because it is so peaceful and its home. But seeing it that frequently, I notice the swan feathers and some organic debris and so I was going to switch it back to my turtle photo which has no imperfections, but instead, I'm trying to understand the message from that. I've been taking a class on Ralph Waldo Emerson, so here's what I believe he has to say on the subject of imperfections. First, there is always something amiss in every perfection. "Nature sends no creature, no man into the world, without adding a small excess of his proper quality." (from Emerson's essay 'Nature'.) I like this because I'm often too loud or too talkative, and now I believe that's just nature. It's my gift, I identify it by realizing I have a little too much of it. The swans maybe just have slightly too many feathers, and the molting of them is part of nature, and the feathers contribute to the lake's environment in some way I suppose.

Another thing Emerson has to say on the subject, is that just our observation of something in the past causes it to be beautiful. "Behind us, as we go, all things assume pleasing forms, as clouds do far off. not only things familiar and stale, but even the weed at the water-side, the old house, the foolish person, -- however neglected in the passing, -- have a grace in the past." (from Emerson's Spiritual Laws)

Here are my "weeds by the water-side." This was taken on a walk with my husband and our dog, at sunset May 21.

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