Can't See the Forest...

It is eight o four. By now I have usually finished my blog post and am posting it. I have ideas for future blog posts in my head, one that takes more research, one that needs photographs. I have looked on Facebook, Twitter, through Explore Howard and Columbia Patch. The blog post for today? Missing in action.

I have said before that I am a miniaturist--I look for the one small thing to focus my light on. I use it as a jumping-off point to talk about something bigger. Some days those small things don't leap out demanding to be seen. Today I find myself scanning, scanning, engaged in a frustrating game of I Spy while my morning minutes slip away.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." Yes, but there a days when we feel as though we have our faces mashed up against it, looking for something meaningful, and yet seeing nothing. The panic of a fifty-word word search puzzle stirs within us: I can't see it!

And that is when I realized what was missing. Perspective.

Sometimes you have to back up to take a better picture. Try a different angle.
Is it the light source that is the problem? Is the subject crowded out by unnecessary clutter? Does your picture lack balance, symmetry? Maybe you are too close to see clearly.

Today, as I take a step back, I see a swirl of too many ideas: the end of the school year, the devastation in Oklahoma, Village politics, Bridge Columbia,pool season approaching, grief, anxiety, gratitude. It isn't that I don't have any ideas. I have too many. And not enough perspective.

So today I will consciously take a step back, take a deep breath, and wait for the noise to settle.

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog