Tag Archives: Peace

My jaded lens


Sometimes, when I get the feeling that I am missing something important yet intangible, I remind myself that my perceptions are jaded. Then I seek the broad path of seeing beyond, behind, inside of, below, outside of… differently. Herein lies the rub. How can I provide myself with an unbiased view of something “hard-wired” to be exactly that–biased? How can I change the DNA-fueled impressions I’ve made, been fed, massaged over years of mass media influence, denied, embraced, honed?

For example, how can I decide whether my faith is based on what I was taught, or on what I have come to believe “on my own?” Or how can I decide if my ideas about parenting have come from years of careful observation, natural instincts, intelligence, research and a heart for children, OR if I am wrong about many of the issues I fight (internally and externally) for and against?

Is there such a thing as “being neutral?” Can I be “fair” without also being “unfair? And don’t I consistently remind my children that life is not fair? How about “righteousness?” What does this mean? My way or the highway? The way the local church professes? The way my kids catch any inconsistency I unwittingly demonstrate, and call it out, expecting a resolution?

The lens with which I view my world is not rose-colored, it is cracked, dirty, and grimy. It is clear, reflective and beautiful. It is polarized and jaded. It is all I have. Pressing my eye to the viewfinder, I seek the perfect shot through a perfect lens. Click. I’ve got it! I pull the image up on a large screen to analyze the capture. The background is nicely blurred, the foreground is complementary and leads my eye directly to the subject. That’s when I see it–the perfect combination that suddenly has me taking great deep breaths. I study the shapes, the contours, the colors, the shadows and the light. The simple beauty of the virtual shot I have taken is stunning, but will only be fully appreciated by me. As I begin to flip through my life-album of best images, I realize that my most enlightened, powerful days are compositions made up of confidence, hard-knocks humility and the softest, most beautiful light I can imagine–that of gratitude.

photograph property of The Jaded Lens Photography

Fo Rent

“No smoking. No drinking. No drugs.
No loud noise. No cats, dogs, or horses.
No sour people. No drama.”

Perfect. Not for me…I’m loud, I drink rich, red wine and I definitely have cats. I am also occasionally sour and definitely capable of drama, particularly when losing my patience. I’m wracking my brain to come up with a person I think might be able to “FO RENT” this place. Hmmmm. Tick, tick, tick, down the list I go. Just when I think I’ve found someone, I remember a small detail that would surely disqualify them. It’s a shame too…this place is nestled between some cute little ramshackle homes in the heart of Laguna Beach’s most creative residential “mecca.” It’s a stone’s throw from the Sawdust Festival, and completely charming in its own, unassuming way.

Oh, and by the way…did you notice? It has 4 bedrooms! Quiet? This owner wants quiet renters who need four bedrooms? Kids? With muzzles. Roommates? Without problems. In-laws? Enough said. Even on the off-chance there is a single, quiet artist who simply needs room for all of her supplies, creations, home office, etc., she will likely NOT be able to afford the $2,450-plus-utilities, plus equal deposit price tag.

I’m going to do it. I’m dying to do it. Yep…I’m gonna march right up to that door the next time I’m in LB, and knock. Camera in hand, I’m going to photograph the one person on the planet who:

Doesn’t smoke. Doesn’t drink. Doesn’t do drugs.
Who makes no loud noises. Who hates cats, dogs and horses.
Who is never sour. Who despises drama.
And…who needs four bedrooms and can pay $2,450 for them.

I’m a little nervous. What on earth will I find there? I’m certain that whoever I find will definitely be blog-post-worthy. Stay tuned…

Peace

Peace in the Fullerton Arboretum

Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me…

“Let There Be Peace on Earth” is a song by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller written in 1955.[1] The song is usually associated with the Christmas season and appears on the album of the same name by country singer Vince Gill. Jackson, who had been suicidal after the failure of a marriage, later said that she wrote the song after “discovering what she called the life-saving joy of ‘God’s peace and unconditional love.'”[2]  (Wikipedia)

The intent of this photograph was to capture the beautiful artwork the children did at the Fullerton Arboretum a few months ago.  When I saw it today, I was immediately enveloped in the absolute beauty and peace of the setting.  May this photo remind you to seek a peaceful path today…