Life’s Journey

Yesterday, at a conference, I wanted to share a photo of a painting.
So, I spent a few minutes scanning my library and could not find it.
I did a keyword search, and still, nothing popped up.
Then I paused and noticed my 10,000 pictures seemed to tell a story.
What I liked, enjoyed, thought about, and, yes, even composed,
They were like flickers of moonlight on a watery surface.

But they told me the journey of my life.

Then, I remembered a video short of Bob Ross. You may remember him.
He showed up in various locations, teaching the novice to paint.
Mountain and water scenes, trees and skies, day and night.
I thought it was quirky because I’m not a visual person like he was.
But someone streamed them together and made a video short.
Please click here to see what I’m talking about.

It gave me pause to consider my life’s journey.

Everything I’ve said, done, thought, or wished for…
All paint the steps of my life from hither to yon.
I cannot undo a single step, but I can improve future steps.
What’s done is done, and what’s not yet done can be better thought out.

The night sky, temperatures, quotes, family, dogs, coffee, and travels…
They tell what I thought was important enough to capture.
Later in life, I clean them out, tossing duplicates, getting rid of those I don’t like,
And essentially collapsing my story into fewer images.

This is also the way of my words. Spoken. Written. Shared.

Back to the photo. I’ve searched for hours and finally found it.
I had contacted the “Polk County Enterprise,” a newspaper of my memory.
They had an article and sent it to me. I’ve extracted the picture to share.
It’s part of my memory and, hence, my story. But it’s the multi-generational image,
From my mom’s side of the family… It’s a story rolled up in this single image.

This is just a morning thought that came to me in the night watches.

Thank you for reading.
Please share with others.
It helps me get my book written!