YOU ARE THE CAMERA !

I recently received a message from a friend who had just invested in a new camera.  She was so excited that she had finally been able to get the camera that she had been dreaming about.  It had all the wonderful features that were going to allow her to take pictures like she had never been able to take before.

In the message was a picture of a small country church with a cemetery in front.

In her commentary she criticized the photo from the photographer’s perspective.  The lighting was not ideal although the depth of field was good.  She was afraid that she may be trespassing.  Sunlight was too bright and so forth.  The next part of the commentary was on the subject of what she was going to be able to do with this camera.  More lenses, filters and all of the features that would allow her to take perfect pictures.

It was at this point in reading this fantastic post that it occurred to me how similar her experience is to the way that we see ourselves and the opportunities that we are given in life.  That thought process was triggered by my simply wondering what church it was in the picture.  The grave sites in the picture were old and beautiful but, my mind went on to asking who was buried in those graves, what stories could their lives tell?  There were so many questions that I cannot list them all!

In essence we live our lives like this.  We get so excited about our camera, us!  We spend our lives trying to see everything that we can see?  Vacation planning!  New experiences!  Travel the world!  This is much like in her commentary, “How can we improve the lighting?”; “What is the best time of day to visit?”  In all of that excitement of being overwhelmed with our physical being and our ability to be in the world and interact with it, how much do we miss by not asking the right questions and waiting for the answers?  I am guilty of having pictures taken on vacations of places that I cannot tell you about!  I was there but cant remember much about it.....

Life is a similar process that tricks us all.  We can not begin to realize how short the time on earth is until we see the end.  It can happen as we get older or when we are confronted with a condition that establishes a definite end, as with a terminal illness.

As I continue to learn in my last days I am driven to share this message!  Learn to not only be excited about your ability to see and experience living but, ask the questions and #LISTEN for the answers.  What church is that?  What are the “Learning Histories” it has to tell?  Who are those people and what did their lives mean?  This concept applies to everything in the world and everyone that we meet.  Realize that there is a finite amount of time left, even if you are young and just getting started.

Yes, you have [YOU ARE] a great camera!  You can add all kinds of features to enable you to capture images of all kinds.   You can take it to the corners of the earth, and beyond.  Make sure that your perspective includes the question and answer aspect that completes the experience.  Never take a picture of a Church and not know its name and history!  Life is a “LearningWheel”  but, it is more than a fabulous camera. Ask and #LISTEN 

YOU ARE THE CAMERA!    Next SHARE your Learning!