I’m still working on the interesting post I mentioned! In the meantime, I’d like to share a question I’ve been thinking over, along with a couple of pictures. And some music!
The title of this post is Where You Choose to Focus. Choosing implies more than one thing so today’s musical selection has two songs. The first is written and performed by the charming and sophisticated Cole Porter. The second is performed by the vaudeville duo, Butterbeans and Susie, and written by heaven knows who. Variety is the spice of life! They’re both great songs.
This post is related to a podcast I was listening to, the name of which I can’t recall. The host made the point that 1) most of the time, we’re free to choose what we focus on and 2) you typically get more of the thing you choose to focus on in your life.
He used the example of listening to the radio channels that pilots use. On some frequencies, you might hear something funny or important or helpful. But you know that if you choose to tune into the SOS channel, you’ll always hear someone having the worst moment of their life.
Overall, this sounds like solid advice. Focus on the good things in life!
But a troublesome thought occurs to me. Like everyone else, I want happiness in my life but I often entertain myself by reading about mysterious disappearances and intricate crimes because they’re so much more interesting. I may have already dedicated more than enough of my focus to guarantee I’ll be murdered by gaslight in a Victorian mansion. But the question should still be considered: Is there a huge gulf between what you want in your life versus what you think is interesting?
Let’s do a little focus group! I bring you three photographs from the New York City Municipal Archives, and two questions:
- Which image would you choose to focus on/which is most interesting?
- Which of the images would you want to come into your life?
We can compare notes in the comments. Or let me know if we should plan an immediate intervention for those of us who find the tenements irresistibly interesting.
Sudden Fall in Malt, Schaefer Brewing Company, Park Avenue from 50th to 51st Street
New York City Municipal Archives
Prospect Park Boat House Rustic Arbor
New York City Municipal Archives
Street scene showing tenements, store, barrels
New York City Municipal Archives
old spirituals 
I see what you mean. Some things are hard to look away from. Like what on earth happened in that first photo?That’s an interesting picture! But I also find the middle picture interesting and would not be against bringing a little yacht club into my life. Not the tenements though.
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The middle picture is what I’d like to bring into my life—at least theoretically! But I have to disagree on the tenements, I think they look so interesting!
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Undoubtedly, the street scene of the New York tenements is my choice. I want to meet and interview the immigrants that left their ancestral homes for a new life and opportunity in America for themselves and their descendants. My grandparents are among that group of people.
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I’m with you, Jax. The tenements looked most interesting to me too! Though, like Ruby, I’d like a little yacht club in my life 😉
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I am interested in the first purely from a health and safety point of view. I am always interested in things that can be prevented because of my health and safety background. So let’s say that is a professional curiosity (rather like your crime writing, lol). The second one is lovely, but I would get bored quickly by it. It would be a place I wanted to escape to occasionally for a rest. The third just has tons of human interest, activity and life around it. It would be the place I would want to occasionally escape from in favour of that lake and boathouse. 😀
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That’s so interesting, Jennie! From a health and safety perspective, that first picture is extra-appalling! I can’t even imagine how that would happen.
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أنا ساهتم بالصوره الأولى لان هذا الشىء خطير جدا للاشخاص الدين يعملون في هذه الشركه ممكن ان يودي بحياتهم لو كانت هذه الشركه وضعت هذا الشعير بشكل منظم وثابت لما حصل هذا أصلا التنظيم مهم جدا في الصوره الأولى : اول حفاظا على حياة الإنسان وثانيا من اجل الصحة وحفاظا على البيئه ايضاً
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“I’m interested in the first picture because this thing is very dangerous for people working in this company can take their lives. If this company had put this barley in an orderly and steady manner, this would not have happened in the first place The organization is very important in the first picture: first to preserve human life and second for health and to preserve the environment as well”
That’s very true! I bet, back then, the company was not held responsible.
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I love the Boat House photo. It reminds me of my parents and my older brother having a picnic and boating in MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, CA, when I was four years old. (1951) Sweet memories conjure up happiness and well being. I’m very blessed to have memories such as this. I can also “picture” Agatha Christie writing a wonderful mystery surrounding a boat house (Dead Man’s Folly) in her part of the world. When I see pictures of people from years past, I’m always curious as to their names and where they lived.
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That’s a lovely memory! You know, I can feel my way into the boating picture. I can imagine the smell of the cigars the bored young men are smoking and the sound of the water against the boats. The laughter of the girls dressed in summer white and some far off street noises. The cool breeze as the afternoon turns into evening….
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