Thanks

Next to the suffering in Ukraine, in Yemen, in Ethiopia, next to the news that the tipping point for climate change is behind us, next to all this, what can I say? 

The meditation group Sue and I belong to met yesterday, and she chose the W.S. Merwin poem, “Thanks.” It begins, 

Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
standing by the windows looking out
in our directions

I recommend clicking on the link and enjoying the whole poem. So that’s my blip: thanking the puddles, the water, and the clouds in my neighborhood. If you experience pareidolia, I won’t be surprised.

I’ve been processing photographs since Saturday afternoon. I had over 1500, from 3 photographers, each with a camera set to a different but slightly overlapping time zone. Trying to choose which one of thirty photographs of the same thing, when they were strung out and separated from each other in Lightroom, was a mess. 

Next time I work with a team of photographers, if that ever happens, I will demand that we synchronize our camera clocks before we begin. We didn’t need 1500 photographs of that one small event. I’ve now narrowed them down to about 325, which is still ridiculous. I’ve sent JoAnn’s campaign some photos, and I’ve sent a batch to Chad Brown, the man who organized the event. Now I’m going to rest my eyes. 

Thank you for the many wonderful comments, observations, and kind thoughts. I have read them all, but I haven’t had a moment to respond. I hope to do that tomorrow.