Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places...

Intense morning light pours into my kitchen through the patio doors, illuminating it with a warm glow. Bouncing off the glass patio table top, I'm drawn outside to partake of my morning coffee in one of the comfy blue & white striped cushions on the chairs. The towering peak and presence of Mt. Cheam gleams brightly as rays stretch from behind a mountain range, exposing it's ragged edges and previously shadowed crevices.

Although unseen, I can hear the distinctive skree of an eagle, overhead. A soft green haze covers a neighbouring budding tree, partially hidden behind a cedar hedge. Birds trill and flit to and from said tree, perching briefly on limbs. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves of shrubs surrounding my patio, tickling my bare legs. Sadie kitty emerges from her prowls under the hedge, rolling contentedly on the warmth of the aggregate patio.

Oh, that wondrous first day of sitting outside in one's nightclothes, sipping hot coffee, one's inner being as burnished by spring's radiance as much as one's surroundings. An exceptionally glorious day to be alive!

I've been asked why don't I write about deeper subjects, and my reply is, I have. I have over 1200 blogs on another site from ten years ago that chronicle my journey through a very bleak and black period of life, immersion in self-help and self-improvement books, and a quest to be the best I can be. Although the mission is still very much alive, the urge to share is not as great a need. I have found that place of contentment, of choosing to be happy, and ever so grateful for where I am today.

Without those dark places, would I appreciate the vividness of today? Without those many people and authors that touched my heart and pointed me towards the brightness, would I have recognized those issues that required me to examine and deal with them?

I no longer am looking for love, as I found it within myself. I don't need anyone to 'complete' me, as I feel entirely whole. A partner would be nice, but it's not a necessity, and if one shows up, it'll be wonderful. If not, it'll still be wonderful.

After tension, drama and overwhelming stress, I'm so appreciative of the area and home I never thought I'd have, that's what my focus is. Enjoying life. Squeezing every last drop out of it, and sharing the wonder and beauty I see when nature draws me into her arms. How my camera has changed so much of my perspective to the point of taking risks and facing fears I'd otherwise never attempt.

My journey in learning photography has not been as quick as I'd like it, and has been, to say the least, frustrating at times. It's also been extremely rewarding. After just reaching level 2 in our club, last night's exhibition rewarded me with a 9 out of 10 for one of my photos and the highest mark in level 2, winning first place. W00t!

I'm the newest member in level 2, and this is only my second exhibition, so I'm pretty stoked, considering there are a lot of members in that level. Of course, photography is like any artistic endeavour, and it all depends on the adjudicator. She had some awesome tips for me for another photo, which I'll utilize later.

So yes, I could write on my favourite self-improvement authors, which books led me to the most enlightenment and why, and perhaps, in time, I might. What I did learn is every person has their own journey, and it's not a contest as to where you are on your climb up the mountain. We're all climbing together, and it's not how you get there, it's whether you do or not.

In closing, I'll add the photo that earned me top place last night. It's a reflection of tree trunks in the water, when I sat on the edge of a bank for hours, watching the ducks through my camera lens, and as the sun began to set, cast a golden tint over the slough. Reversing the photo and bumping up the colour turned it into an abstract that some love, and many won't.