The Gathering
The Gathering
Last month I ventured out with my four photo assistants to one of our local beaches to beat the heat brought on by a strange early summer heat wave. When we arrived at the beach we found the typical summer northern California coast pattern of fog due to the upwelling that takes place along the coast this time of year. We came donning summertime attire expecting sun and fun…oh well. However the temperature at the coast was well into the 70’s and a bit humid due to all the fog, so even though we did not see the sun we were not worse for the wear.
This particular beach is situated about a half mile from the highway and the walk takes us across a wonderful coastal plain. I think because of this walk, very few people make the walk out to the beach as we rarely find anyone there, this afternoon was no different, and we had the beach to ourselves. The overcast light and foggy sky left much to be desired in the way of seascape photography and I decided to not even take my camera out. I just walked along soaking in the full bouquet of the ocean air and reveling in the light sea spray the kissed my face.
Then one of my assistants rushed up to me gleefully and urgently trying to show me the amazing stone that they had found. And the idea was sparked…This would make a great photo. I instructed my assistants to find as many unusually colored, marbled, or shaped rocks as they could find. Soon we all were wading in the surf watching for the glimmer of a hidden “gem” to make its way to the surface of all the small stones that riddled the beach. After about two hours of searching and arranging I finally pulled out the camera and composed this photo.
It was a memorable day. But in hindsight it was much more than that. Many things need to come together for something great to take place. We sometimes try to rush greatness into existence before all the necessary ingredients are present and instead we find mediocrity or worse, failure. We also never know when an opportunity for greatness will emerge and how we need to coax it along in its emergence. However it appears, we need to be aware of it and grab hold of the reins and lead it on to its full fruition. If we allow it to pass us by we may never get a second chance to make it happen. I guess this rings of the notion of carpe diem – seizing the day or living in the present. If we can live in the moment, seizing it and living it to its fullest, then later in the future we can look back at the past and feel no regrets, no remorse, and no sorrow for not capturing, if nothing else, a memory in our heart that will be a story that lives on forever.
The Gathering, for me, was the coming together of five hearts enamored by the marvel that is our world where Earth meets Water and the special interaction that takes place between those two elements. It was the coming together of love, wonder, effort, toil, and hope in the hearts of five individuals that gathered together on one intention of showing the world the marvel of our Mother. In that I found a great thing.
Peace.
Oh, P.S. Which is your favorite stone?
