Musical accompaniment: There’ll be Some Changes Made performed by Kathy Brier

 

Is it just me, or do you feel like energy is moving? I don’t know what to expect but I connect this feeling to the photos I found.

If you missed yesterday’s post, I took a History of Photography course a while back and saved the images. I misplaced or forgot about them until I found them yesterday.

It’s caused me to sit up and take notice. There’s a phenomenon I’ve seen play out in my life and the lives of others over and over. I call it driftwood, though I’m sure it has a real name.

If you imagine someone who is lost at sea, they’re completely focused on finding land. They’re always searching for land, hoping to catch sight of it, straining to see it on the horizon. Then they begin to notice driftwood in the water. The driftwood isn’t what they’re looking for but it should give them hope because it’s a sign–proof that they’re very close to what they’re looking for. You only see driftwood when land is nearby.  The land might not be visible but seeing driftwood is a sign you’re moving in the right direction.

Here’s a real-life example. I have a friend who really wanted a Craftsman-style home but he didn’t have enough money and he had very specific requirements. He started to see driftwood. An old friend he hadn’t talked to for years invited him over for dinner and when he arrived, he discovered his friend lived in a Craftsman-style house. He also found $50. Neither of those things was what he most wanted but they were definitely connected to what he wanted. He was discouraged by them but they were really a sign that he was on the right path. And he moved into a Craftsman-style home not long afterward.

The images from the photography class are driftwood. But what does it signify? Perhaps I’ll find something else I’ve lost.

Or maybe it’s much bigger than me. Have you heard of the philosophical idea of the Fourth Turning? I don’t understand it well enough to explain but the general idea is that if you look at time in 80-year cycles, and there are certain collective experiences humanity has that span across four generations at a time. They could be negative, like plagues or war. Or they could be brilliant like the Renaissance or the Enlightenment. So possibly long dormant possibilities are reawakening for everyone.

It’s also possible that I’m only feeling the rapid approach of springtime.  Who knows?

In keeping with today’s theme, this photograph is definitely a little change for Old Spirituals! It’s another find from the photography class. This picture was taken by Baron Adolf De Meyer in 1925 and named Green and Silver Leaves.

 

What a rambling post this has been! It’s hard to put some things into words.