Moderation In The Pursuit Of Balance Is No Virtue: 20 Million Words

Since August 16, 2004, 20,000 pictures have been added to my family photo album (digital). If it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words – I guess my collection has 20 million things to say.

The other day I searched through some of the archived photos for several art/canvas-print possibilities to feature in the house. As usual I was distracted by all the little things those pictures were saying to me – and instead I found myself piecing together various themes of similar shots taken at different times and different places throughout the several years.

While each picture has its own story and background, individual pictures don’t often reach beyond an individual moment. I guess you need collections to tell the larger stories; to transcend the rigidity of a single point in time; to reveal the underlying fabric that connects them – which is to reveal things only painted with the brushes of consistency and commitment. Those were the things that jumped out.

They made me smile. Then I thought to briefly write some of the meanings I associate with each series or theme. I’ll share them here one at a time. But before I share, I think it’s important to understand:

(1) The photo taking is mostly random. That means not every event is captured – no matter how memorable, and also some routine, every-day moments are captured. (i.e., for every day at the park or zoo captured by photo … at least 15 days were not. For every day trip, vacation, or special event captured … at least two were not.)

(2) Even when the camera is out, very few shots are planned or posed.

So as similar themes, places, poses, etc. appear over several years of collecting, they really are spontaneous, and each series carries with it the memories of dozens of similar moments that passed un-captured. That is why a series like the one below is a representation of things more enduring than the moments – things like tradition, habit, personality, and ethic. That’s what makes collecting fun.

Here is a peek into my photo treasures.

WALKING

Is there any simpler activity more fulfilling than walking? Growing up in Phoenix, neither the culture nor the dispersed points of interest promoted walking – let alone the enjoyment of it. But living in DC introduced me to its therapeutic practicality and to its profound connection to simplicity. There was just no better way to end a great meal dining out than to walk home. There was no better way to explore – and no better way to relax – than to walk without destination. Walking slows life down. I love walking.

These photos remind me of the hundreds of miles I have walked holding little hands, looking for different kinds of plants, animals, parks, buildings, flags, “tricky balances,” motorcycles, statues, fountains, diggers, etc.

Two thoughts cross my mind as I look at those little hands in mine. The first is a sobering sense of responsibility, the depths of which would be difficult to express completely in a book – let alone a simple blog post (futile to even try). The second is an overwhelming sense of comfort. Not just the comfort I feel when holding a child’s hand, but also the comfort in realizing how simple the fulfillment of responsibility can be (walking/just being there), and the comfort of knowing I have consistently been there.