Happy New Year!

Make your own fireworks, Jaffa, Israel, April 2008, Canon PowerShot SD870 IS, Exposure 1/160 sec @ f3.5, ISO 200, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This photo comes from the Old Port City of Jaffa, just south of Tel Aviv, Israel. I was walking through the old alleyways, in amongst the shops, and I came upon this painting, unceremoniously hung on an outside wall.

Not for sale. Just for decoration.

Indeed, the shops had closed, and the painting remained open to the elements and to anyone's mischievous hands. What a wonderful gift.

I love all the colors, and imagine them, tonight especially, as my own personal fireworks display.

"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." -- Danny Kaye

I would also like to share with you this simple list I collected somewhere along one of the alleyways in my own life.

To me, it is like one of those quick-use guides to the game of life, meant to help those who have no patience for the thick instruction manual printed in so many languages, replete with warnings and alerts, when all we want is to start playing with our new gizmo.

Very well then. By all means. Let the games begin.

Live with intention.
Walk to the edge.
Listen hard.
Practice wellness.
Play with abandon.
Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Continue to learn.
Appreciate your friends.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

-- Mary Anne Roadacher-Hershey
It is my profound wish that each of you find peace and harmony during your journey into this Happy New Year!

Vantage point

Vantage point #1, St. John's Church, Old Acre, Israel, September 2008, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 90mm, Exposure 1/800 sec @ f7.1, ISO 200, exposure bias -4/3 stop, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So how is your vantage point? Do you have a good place from which to view your surroundings?

You know, that which you see and how you see it is very much affected by where you sit. By how you were raised. By your parents ... your friends ... your culture. By your own attitudes and perspective.

For example, you might see the photo above and think -- well the sun is surely setting upon that religion. Simply a shadow of what it once was.

Or you could change your vantage point, and then you would have the view below. Maybe now it looks like the sun is rising and brightly illuminating that profound belief.

Vantage point #2, St. John's Church, Old Acre, Israel, September 2008, Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens, Focal length 50mm, Exposure 1/250 sec @ f8.0, ISO 200, exposure bias -4/3 stop, no flash, circular polarizing filter © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Either way, it's all in how you look at it. And what meaning you ascribe to it. Be careful of ascribing judgment. For it is probably just based upon your vantage point, which can very easily change, if you are willing to move around a bit.

Let him who would move the world first move himself.
-- Socrates