Global Sojourns Photography
Photography & Philosophy
Heartbeat of Time
Is there anything more pure than the mind of a child?
Where the reality of a day goes on forever ~ entranced by all the love and peace around. Never a day lost, never a day wasted. Time does not exist in the manner we experience as adults. Time is in abundance.
The preciousness of every heartbeat, a soothing melody moving the world forward as it should.
Yesterday I read the average human has somewhere around three billion heartbeats within a lifetime. Not a small number, but disappointing nonetheless. It gave me pause to consider the value of each heartbeat. To reassess the importance of time.
My goal is not to squander any more heartbeats, and of course the humor was not lost on me as I ‘wasted’ several thousand mulling this over…
Roughly 2,000 years ago, the Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote an essay, On the Shortness of Life, about how our existence rushes by and only when we begin to understand the importance of time, it is too late. It’s over.
Seneca believed for many, the tragedy was not because life itself is short, but the amount of time wasted makes it short.
“We do not appreciate the value of time… life is long if you know how to use it.” – Seneca
Caught up in social media and daily news cycles, it becomes easy to go through the motion of living. We lose our consciousness and with it beautiful scenes become a faded blur of a sound-bite world.
The silver lining of the past couple of years has been the space to step back from the chaos of life; catch a glimpse of what a world looks like when time is available and not the end goal.
Listen to the heartbeat and life opens up.
Seneca too appreciated the heartbeat of life. He railed against the preoccupied souls wrapped up in the material world, chasing anything but an authentic life – supplying us with the quote:
“So you must not think a man has lived long because he has white hair and wrinkles: he has not lived long, just existed long.” – Seneca
This quote hammered into me the need to unlatch myself from the zeal of business; work hard but relish those moments of peace. Not an easy thing to do.
The beat of time varies like the weather, similar to music and mood. There are days when running around with hair on fire is the only option, and long hours spent on projects a blast ~ but always with an eye on what brings bliss: exploring and learning something new.
Often such exploration comes via a book, a place to capture a different taste of philosophy; ideas of a culture sharing its wisdom. A time to relax, to let the serene pieces of life soak in.
The beat of the heart in harmony with the ticking of time leads the way. For those who know me, family and friends define who I am. It took me years to understand they also help define who I can become.
“How much happier is the man who owes nothing to anybody except the one he can most easily refuse, himself!” – Seneca
Seneca’s words have always had the power to snap me away from the mirage of success ~ “I lose the day in waiting for the night, and lose the night in fearing the dawn.” Shines a light on the false belief: if I could only have this, I would be happy…
It is an enlightening moment to understand how simple happiness can be. May not be a professional athlete or atop a business empire as once dreamt, but somehow I’m much better off.
I’ve over achieved. I’m happy.
A happiness evolved from a trust in fate; a natural rhythm dictating the evolution of connections.
There are times in life when things come together. Synchronicity ~ a natural paring.
Explanations are not necessary; when such moments come together, celebrate. Take time away from the chaos and melt into the surroundings.
Melt into the colors, melt with the scene, and then melt perfectly into the love of others.
These timeless moments create a few extra heartbeats, and time stands still. Damn. I love life 😊.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, listen to the beat of your heart and jump into the unknown ~ it is the logical thing to do.
It is what we were made for.
Global Sojourns Photography 
What a spectacular comeback! I am happy to see you with your wonderful family. I wish you to stay safe and healthy through these unusual times!
Thank you so much, Dana, it has been such a strange couple of years. Being able to spend so much time with family was an unexpected by-product of these times ~ something to treasure and continue in the future. I hope you are having a great autumn, and take care.
Thanks, you too!
It certainly comes across, your love for life, fellow beings and this world. I see so much happiness, and blissful, colourful, inspiring captures. With all this I can see why you haven’t posted for so long, but now I’m happy that you did. Let all well continue.
The past couple years has really been an experience I would not have imagined possible before, and put the work/life balance into better perspective ~ and with the end of this year, it seems overall there is a good sense of optimism around the world. While things will eventually get somewhat back to normal, I think many people will find the positives over this time we’ve experienced. Thank you, Manja, and wish you all well.
Hello Randall,
How wonderful to see you with your beautiful family. The expressions of the children – pure joy and reflecting “life” itself. It has been a challenging 2 years, but the quotes of Seneca ring true – thank you for the reminder to cherish each moment. So happy to see you are doing well, and spending precious time with your dear ones. Take care, and wish you a wonderful autumn and winter.
Best,
Takami
Hi Takami, and yes I agree these times have been challenging but also a great time for us to reflect on both time and how we live. Those little moments I’ve take for granted I realized are actually those big and special moments that make life wonderful. Thank you very much, and also wish you well too as we begin this transition from autumn to the cold of winter 🙂 Enjoy your day!
Dear Randall,
thank you VERY much for your lesson in stoicism with words and pictures. We enjoyed both very much and this is what it is all about relaxing, enjoying and being kind.
You pictures are GREAT 👍
Wishing you a wonderful weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
The past couple years provided a perfect backdrop for reading Seneca once again 🙂 There is always a need for stoic calm in life; having the flexibility to adapt and work through any difficulties can bring to light those magical moments and opportunities in life ~ and yes, it is a wonder how being kind and enjoying life goes to create and spread such feelings. Wishing the Fab Four well, take care and enjoy the weekend!
It took me a while to read Seneca again as we read some of his texts in our Latin lessons at school – and I wasn’t a friend of the Latin language.
With love from the sunny sea
Klausbernd 🙂
Your eloquent and insightful photo essay struck so many responsive chords in me. What a gift to start my Friday, and I thank you for it.
Thank you very much, Liz. It is always a good feeling to know when both photos & writing strikes a chord. Wishing you a great weekend ahead!
You’re most welcome! I hope you have a great weekend as well.
Well Randall, what a lovely surprise to find a new post from you as I began my day this morning. Honestly I thought you’d decided against writing which would have been such a sad loss. It appears your time back in the U.S. has been wonderfully spent enjoying those things that are most important to us – family, friends and the beautiful gifts of nature that surrounds us. Of course your images are wonderful, as always, and your family is blessed to have them – surely one day they will look back on them with a smile. But your musings, as always, are the heart of your post for the rest of us. Seneca himself could not have said it better. Time does have a way of getting away from us, and if the pandemic has given us nothing else, it has given us the gift of quiet time to evaluate what is important to us and the ability to rearrange our lives if its lessons move us to do so. Blessed are those who, like you, and happily like me, are able to Love Life. Here’s to more heartbeats and the knowledge of how best to use them, for all of us.
You say it so perfectly, Tina, thank you! The silver lining over these past couple years has been to bring those gifts of nature, family, and friends into much brighter focus. The writings of Seneca come to light especially at this time, gives us a chance to rearrange our time to celebrate the important things important to us. It always seems the busier we get in life, the less opportunity we have to evaluate what we want and need. Experiencing challenging times can be a blessing in helping with this evaluation process 🙂 Very much appreciate you thoughts and all your talents over the years, you’re an inspiration. Wishing you and your family well ~ take care.
Fantastically beautiful photos. Such wonderful words of life.
Thank you, Timothy ~ even amid all the chaos of the times, nothing quite like seeing what the lives around us offer. Cheers to a great weekend ahead.
You have a wonderful way of seeing, Randall. We need more people who can see the beauty through the chaos and empathize with those around them.
“I’ve over achieved. I’m happy.“ What words of wisdom these are! Love the photos, so well composed and bright with hope and joy. The family portraits are a special treat. LOL, my son has a ‘Big Lebowski’ sweater similar to yours. I am reading and re-reading this wonderful post. Best wishes to you and your family.
Absolutely love it that your son has “The Dude” sweater as well ~ such a great character and movie. This comment made my day ~ it is a true Oregonian piece of art ~ and has the Pendleton name which always brings me home 🙂 It is surprising at times when I break things down in a simplified form by understanding “I’m happy”, it makes any problem less insurmountable. Best to you and your family, John, and continue to enjoy this magical autumn season. Take care.
My heart is happy to read your post, and savor the wisdom, love, and beauty in your words and photos. Welcome back to WP Randall. I’m glad you’ve found peace with yourself and living fully in this short life we have.
Thank you very much, Brad. The amount of wisdom out there in the world is pretty amazing once we cut through all of the chaos that seems to dominate the day 🙂 As you show, the simple sights of nature and the words used to describe such peace in life can make life “fuller than full” (sounds like a Dr. Seuss description 🙂 ). Cheers to a great finish of the autumn season.
My pleasure Randall. To savoring autumn and simple joys.
All the gadgets and social apps with which we believe ourselves in the future are a mirage; one that banish when I read Roman writers, or Shakespeare works. In essence happiness, clarity and human heart is the same as it was when our ancestors were hunters, or lived in empires of stone, or when crossed the oceans in wooden ships. Thank you, Randall. A good heartbeat : )
I love this comment, and yes ~ so much of this social media wave is a mirage, and we gladly allow for it to swallow us up most of the time. Finding those pieces of life that allow us to escape (books, articles, words of wisdom, music, etc.) bring us back to our essence. Just the other day, I was thinking how closely our thoughts and philosophy of today so closely mirror thought almost 3,000 years ago ~ and wonder if our wisdom today in inherent in our souls or molded by cultures so long ago? More ideas to ponder as I prepare for winter (and you for summer) 🙂 Wishing you many wonderful heartbeats as we move forward, Francis. Thank you very much.
These are so lovely! Emotionally moving.
Thank you very much, Georgia. Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead.
Inspiring post, Randall. As always, magical photos!
Enjoyed putting words to photos again, Eliza, a bit invigorating for the soul as we head into the last month of autumn. Thank you, and wishing you a great finish to autumn as well. Take care ~
A beautiful tribute to the wonder and beauty of every heartbeat, Randall. Your post filled me with joy and peace and an appreciation for this very moment of life. It was lovely to see your post appear today.
It was something to realize this pandemic did bring out the appreciation for all the great pieces this life hold ~ the value of every heartbeat. Thank you very much, Diana. A wonderful comment to begin my weekend with. Wishing you well.
There were blessings in the down time if we sought them out. No heartbeat wasted.
This post was so different from your others. Often you are connecting us to exotic countries, people, stories and parts of the world that we can only dream of. But I loved this post because it felt like you pulled us in to what is real. You reminded us to remember what is important and that this moment whether with family or alone is all we have to cherish. 🙏🏻🌿
Very much appreciate your insight, and yes you are correct that this is a very real, and in a sense raw post. There is so much to remember in life, and most importantly you mention whether with family or alone ~ as both are such a real part of life. Also, I think you understand this on such a deep level that it makes it feel even more heartfelt. Wishing you joy, health, and happiness as we enter the last couple months of the year. Take care, Karen, and thank you very much.
Your posts and your words are a gift in this world. 🙏🏻
As always, your words make me think and reflect on my own life. Indeed, it’s very easy for us to get drawn into the chaos, or follow what others do for many believe that’s the way things should be. But Seneca’s words of how some people merely exist, not live, really should make everyone reevaluate their lives. Lovely to see those happy faces as well as the beautiful scenery — I guess some were taken in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. while others in Europe? Have a nice and relaxing weekend, Randall!
Thank you, Bama. These past couple years sure has given us time to take a different look at not only the world around us, but ourselves. In a sense, I think for people like us who travel a lot it has really hit hard, and as such it is a good thing. As the stoics and Seneca believed, take a calm approach during such difficult times allows us to view the underlying wisdom 🙂 So we have the opportunity to become a bit smarter 🙂 🙂 And you are very perceptive with your guesses on where the photos were taken – the majority in the Pacific Northwest of the US and the others were taken in the countryside of the Czech Republic. Wishing you a great and relaxing weekend as well, Bama. Take care ~
Stunning images and such beautiful words, Randall.
You remind me of how wonderful this world is.
Whenever I take the time, whether it is going for a hike or simply looking at photographs either I took or from someone else, I am always amazed at what a wonderful world this is. It felt great being able to put together this post, Vicki, so thank you very much for your nice words. Wish you health and happiness.
Loved this post, it really sums up how I’ve been trying to live my life. Doing what interests me, what actually whets my appetite, rather than “climbing the corporate ladder”. Love your photos Randall!
Ha, thank you and yes it is amazing how something so simple as “doing what interests and whets your appetite” can be so difficult when there are many materialistic options that divert us along the way. Part of the magic of life navigating it all, keeps things interesting for sure. You’ve lived an enchanted life ~ and wishing you all the best as we move into the final couple months of the year. Cheers and take care ~
Wonderful observations of life and your family – and the world these past two years.. I love the photos. Thanks.
Thank you, Ina ~ it was special to be with family. The beauty of being apart is when we get back together there is a tremendous feelings shared of seeing each other again. Wishing you a nice weekend 🙂
It’s been a while and another wonderful piece of writing from you, Randall. So lovely to read this as the year us drawing to a close, and a time of the year where family and love are probably more on our minds.
Time is so different to a child and an adult. As a child time seems in abundance but when we are older like we are now, time seems so fleeting. Seneca’s thoughts are so apt here and very thoughtful of you to include them. So many of us just exist, following the traditional rituals of life: absorbing ourselves in work and chasing the next best thing. Sometimes the best thing is what we’ve always known – and who have always been there for us.
Really love how you say it, ‘Explanations are not necessary; when such moments come together, celebrate. Take time away from the chaos and melt into the surroundings.’ There is no excuse when it comes to appreciating and spending time with others who matter to us. Heartbeats, be they your own or others, can be something that seem so surreal. It’s like there’s some kind of magic beyond each beat, beyond each person and moment.
Top photography as usual. Lovely to see you back home and spending it with family. You look right at home. Wishing you well, and if I don’t catch you later this year, wishing you well for the end of the year and year ahead 🙂
Great to hear from you, Mabel, and your comment is so true. The traditional rituals and expectations of life tend to push us in a direction that is more often than not in line with what we truly wish out of life ~ and so the eternal battle begins 🙂 Seneca’s writing is special because he does give us cause to step back and think about what seems to be rather simple things, but of course as the saying goes “the right way is never the easy way.”
Being able to push aside all the chaos and truly relax, to be able to melt into the surroundings is one way of helping us find that balance in life. And yes, listening to those heartbeats 💗 🙂 Wishing you a great finish to the year, and if we do not catch up before then – a great ’22 awaits. Take care, and thank you again.
Being busy is so admired these days while relaxing is often seen as lazy. But being lazy, or relaxing, is so important. As you said, it helps us to find balance in life – and it is so good for the soul. May you have many more of these moments, love and heartbeats to finish this year. Always a pleasure to read and admire your work 🙂
This is very true ~ in most companies it is a badge of honor to work way past your “eight hours” and, of course, owners love it but it is actually pretty unproductive and creates an unbalanced life 🙂 Thank you again, Mabel, and wish you a great finish to the week.
Been a while since hearing from you dear friend. These crazy days have disrupted many lives, haven’t they?
It’s easy to understand why. Reviewing life with family and friends is a worthy remedy especially in person.
What is seen here is no less than total heart warming moments shared those you love. Can life get any better?
You are a most kind man to share this with us! hug, Eddie
Wonderful to hear from you, Eddie ~ it has been much longer than I anticipated, but I could not believe how fast the days were moving this year. Seemed I was always in neutral while the world was in overdrive… and it was kind of nice 🙂 It set up my time with family and friends perfectly, and absolutely agree with your thought as well: can life get any better? Great comment, Eddie and thank you. Wish you great health and happiness moving forward ~
Likewise dear friend, enjoy your holidays!
What a wonderful post. We’ve all of us lived through/are living through strange times. Sometimes with unlooked for rewards. Love the photos as well as the words.
I think the one thing I believe life cannot do to you is surprise you with anything thrown in your path, Mary 🙂 You’ve lived through some incredible times and adventures, and I think the last couple years indeed show how challenging things can be ~ and those moments of beauty of our past shine all the brighter. Wishing you well, and enjoy your weekend.
Such a nice post, Dalo, it gives a sense of peacefulness and warmth, with amazing photos! Family and friends, lovely spots and details… I absolutely love all of them, the one taken from straight above, over the rocks and the stream… so lovely, with that patch of sunlight!
It is so true, at some moment or moments in life we are bound to come to this realization, that it is only up to us how we use and go through each and every instant, day in, day out, how intense, how aware… Of course, reading and re-reading your words, another quote came to mind, that I like, by Bob Marley, saying, “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”
Wishing you a nice November, Dalo, filled with more such wonderful moments and beautiful photos! 🙂
Great eye with the photo above Upper Big Creek, Nicole, I too like the speck of sunlight shining through 🙂 This is a very nice hiking trail in the Olympic National Forest, and always enjoy the hiking there with my sister and dogs. A place where time does feel as if it is standing still. Your quote of Bob Marley is perfect, so perfect… “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet” is right in line with the thinking of stoicism 🙂 I’m going to put some of his music on now and get lost in something wonderful. Stay healthy, take care and thank you for the nice comment. Cheers to a wonderful weekend ahead.
I can’t pin point which points in this post resonate with me most. All them, one by one just take me to reflect back into my own experiences. This one “It is an enlightening moment to understand how simple happiness can be” perhaps sums up everything and I can relate to that deeply. Happiness that born out of simplicity is perhaps the most profound. Anything more would make it less. And those pictures that go along just echo visually!
When I was in China, I was able to read and discuss Laozi and the Dao de Jing quite a bit, and its philosophy is based on just what you mentioned in your comment: happiness born out of simplicity is the most profound. And I really like your addition of ‘anything more would make it less.’ Absolutely true. One of the goal of Daoism is to return back to the mind of a child, the simple wonder of the world without bias only curiosity. A state of mind I believe becomes easy to lose as we get older. Cheers to you, YC, and thank you very much. Wishing you a great finish to autumn.
Loved this heartwarming compilation of cherished moments Randall. So much beauty wonderfully complemented by your evocative writing and Seneca’s profound wisdom. Wishing for you, for us all, an equally joyous festive season and a year filled with many such timeless moments. Stay well.
I remember reading Seneca for the first time, and not quite getting it (granted I was in my 20s), but in re-reading some of his works the wisdom is remarkable. Sometimes I am amazed at what our ancestors from more than 2,000 years ago were able to accomplish. Thank you very much, Madhu, for the wonderful comment – and it is great to catch up with you again. Wishing you safe travels and health and happiness as we finish off this year. Take care ~
I don’t know what to write dear Randell, your words immediately flowed into my heart and I feel how true they are. Existing and living are such big differences and I too am in a state of upheaval and am only now slowly realising how important it is, or rather I have always known it, but often lacked the courage to live it. My photos always woke me up when I was walking on my little Greek island and tried or still try to capture the magic. Meeting people, loving them with all my heart, recognising their beauty. Every heartbeat is important, even the unrecognised or unused ones, they take you where you “really” want to go …… Love, live and enjoy it every second, like a child ……… or a puppy, or like nature, the water, the air ……… but the workings of it can be seen deeply in your writing and images. Thank you for the memory and I wish you and your family a good winter. Kind regards Ariane
Love your comment, Ariane. Yes, there is a difference between existing and living – and while at times I find myself in the former, I much prefer the latter 🙂 I think when there is a lot of upheaval in life, we do need to sit back and collect our thoughts… but the danger can be before you realize a lot of time has past and you are just existing. One of those things I think everyone struggles with at one time or another, and the easiest way to get back into the swing of living is just as you say: enjoy every second like a child (or puppy!). Wishing you a great finish to the autumn season, and take care.
“Synchronicity ~ a natural paring.” ☯️
Water, beauty and love and friendship. What more could we possibly ask for?
So very, very good to see you posting again. 💕
This so well said ~ when we wrap ourselves up in nature and family/friends, we are living like we should, like we need to. Thank you very much Gunta 🙂
Hi Randall! A refreshing thought-provoker. 🙂 I share your ideas of bliss. But, I think you may have missed one — creation. It feels so good to create content. Glad to see your work again. Your dogs brought a smile to my face! 🙂 Be well my friend!
Great to hear from you, Shawn, and yes you absolutely nailed it – creation. You are right, without creating something I think we’d all go crazy… may be the strong attribute of humans, the need to create. Hmmmm, that may be worth a post 🙂 Cheers to a great finish to autumn, and best to you and Tricia.
Thank you for these valuable thoughts of living in the moment with people you love and who love us 🙂
Thank you very much, Y.R., and you are so correct in the value of living the moment with those you are special. Wish you well and take care ~
A lovely post. Thank you for sharing. 🌞
Thank you very much, Lisa.
Thank you Randal for sharing your family and life’s insights over the past couple of years. This is such a beautiful post.
Yes! to every heartbeat. Every smile. Every moment to appreciate the wonder of our lives, and the miracles unfolding around us. Keep capturing it all and filling our hearts and senses with your vision and photographs. Peace, love and gratitude 💕🙏💐
Thank you, Val. Yes, being able to take a look at the life around and no matter the mood being grateful of what has unfolded. That thought alone is encouragement to enjoy the moments and those that follow. Take care ~
Wonderful Photography..
Hola amigo, oh wow what an outstanding and simply soulmoving work of art once again!! Your photography is just divine as usual. I love the dreamy winter wonderland images, and the animal photographs, and just the profound sense of love, belonging, and contentment you have captured so marvelously in all your pictures. All those beautiful happy smiles are heartwarming, It’ s just wonderful to know and see how happy you are and how spot on, in my perception, you are regarding what truly matters in life. And, even better, you are putting it into practice and really cherishing the gift of live, which so many take for granted! Amazing, yay! Of course I also love your insightful and fabulous writing and Seneca’s guest appearance;) Yep I agree that living authentically is so crucial! And that it’s so important to really KNOW bone-deep that joy and peace are only found in the here and now… Thank you very much for this thoughtprovoking and really just fabulous work! Just amazing. Sending you big hugs and gratitude 🙂 🤗💚
Hola amiga, muchas gracias ~ being able to spend more time at home and really wrap myself up in all the pieces of the life around me was a very special part of the past couple years. It made the time working back in Czech much easier too ~ the one great thing about social media and the connectiveness it enables, is we can remain close to people around the globe. Such a world of difference compared to when I first started traveling so much. Agree with you on the writings of Seneca, the one great thing about the philosophers of the past is their wisdom is so accessible now and also more timely than ever to read. Wishing you a wonderful finish to the autumn season and thank you Maria Elena for this comment. Abrazos and take care ~
Amigo, I can imagine how wonderfully uplifting and nourishing it must have been to spend such wonderful quality time at home. Plus it of course truly shows on your fabulous photos! Social media really does have its perks, we just gotta know how to use it wisely. Thanks for your kind wishes, wishing you a lovely rest of the month and catch ya soon!:) Big hugs
“Is there anything more pure than the mind of a child?”
No. There is not.
As I take care of my 3yo twin grandsons, while their parents work remotely, this question bugs me even more than ever, “How come children’s perfect innocent joy and kindness has to be destroyed for them to grow up with us?”
So true, Cindy, and I can imagine your joy in taking care of and being around your grandsons (twins even more so), and seeing the wonder of how they view the world. It is something wonderful. It should be the goal of adults to somehow retain or return to the mind of a child ~ children have a lot to teach us if we take the time to listen and practice, and for us to apply it with the wisdom we collect through our experiences in life. Wonderful comment. Wishing you and your family continued joy and happiness ~ thank you very much, and take care.
Wishing the same to you and yours Randall. “And a child shall lead them…..” Twins twice as much. Take good care my friend.
Animals, children, and nature give us valuable lessons generously but very few find the time to appreciate it. No one would leave this post without reflecting on the past. That is the power of your words and images. Be well.
“Finding the time to appreciate it” ~ you speak the truth about the generosity of nature and children, wisdom we can tap into whenever we take the time to appreciate such lessons. These are the jewels of life scattered around us. Thank you, Sidran. It is also uplifting to know there are many good souls out there ~ leaves me optimistic about our future. Cheers and best to you and your family. Take care.
Yes, they are special gifts. Be well, Dalo.
Your words and photos are positively effervescent, Randall. But it’s the kind of buoyancy that comes after diving deep and navigating dark waters. We have traversed a couple of treacherous years, on all levels. You have reemerged triumphant. Bravo. 🙂
I’m not one who reads philosophers, but I do feel an affinity with the Stoics. Their no BS approach. I wonder what they’d think about social media and other distractions. But maybe this, too, is a void that we must experience so that there can be a renaissance of authentic connection.
Thank you for sharing your light. You have indeed overachieved, young man. You shine brighter than ever. Warmest wishes from northern Michigan.
These days, the lessons of the Stoics have a lot to offer and I would agree with you, Julie, having a stoic nature during times of chaos makes it a bit easier to see life through more authentic connections. Easier to find those places where happiness resides. These times, in one sense, can be a blessing if we become aware of how the world is changing and take the time to step back ~ to realign ourselves with what works (e.g., a nice cabin hidden in the woods of northern Michigan :-)). I like to think such realignment brings us a little bit closer to the pure, simple mind of what we had when we were young 🙂 Thank you very much for your wonderful words, and hope we can continue to shine bright far into the future. Wishing you happiness and health, Julie, and take care as we begin to fall into winter. Cheers ~
I’m reminded of the old quote, “stop and smell the roses.” That’s always a good idea, even when events don’t force that path.
Perfect quote, Dave, and it is a bit funny how as we grow older we forget this simple thought but every now and then we are reminded it is a great breath of fresh air 🙂 Times like these give us the chance to appreciate those great things in life around us. Enjoy the weekend ahead, and cheers to a great finish of autumn.
Excellent pictures.
I really like the landscapes. But also the family pictures are really good.
Thank you, Rabirius ~ take care.
I am seeing you after a long while after your ‘walk on the sands’ series, if I remember right. Great to see you again mate, through your ‘heartbeat’ and the many pics so tastefully portrayed here. Keep going and be well…
It felt good to write and reflect on some of the photos taken this past year and a half 🙂 Great to see and hear from you ~ wishing you a great finish to autumn and continued good health and spirits!
It is so wonderful to read your words of joy and wisdom, Randall. Life is so rich in nuance, and the quotes you chose reflect that. What amazing photographs to reflect this beauty life has to offer.
Thank you, Jolandi. It is always a special time to be able to reflect on life with family and friends, and a perfect time to dream what is to come. Cheers to dreams 🙂
Beautiful wonderful family pictures ❤️❤️
Thank you very much, being around family and friends I can forget all about the pretenses of adulthood and there is freedom in letting the inner-child out and enjoy all that is out there 🙂
That’s wonderful…we must do whatever it takes to let the inner child take over once a while and forget the worries and have fun 💗😊
Ah! Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger, a great Stoic, a Cordoba’s Spanish Roman, favorite of mine, since the first time I read him when I was in High School, quite some years ago.
““As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”
― Seneca
Your pictures complement greatly what you write about him, beautiful, and enjoyable post, thank you.
This quote of yours is perfect in description of life ~ and all the things we do in life: quality. Live life in a quality manner and you’ve lived a great life. And as with the photos in my post, there is so many great things out there to experience and enjoy ~ how is it not possible to live a life of quality 🙂 Cheers to you, and enjoy the weekend ahead!
impressive and emotional post, lovely photos – comme d’habitude… ❤ Seneca has been damn right:“We do not appreciate the value of time… life is long if you know how to use it.” which reminds me:“Talk of beauty, joy or happiness; the world is sad enough!"(Ella Wheeler Wilcox)
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Stay healthy and safe(vaccinated!), a super week ahead, and tons of inspiration, Sir! last but not least:"memento mori, carpe diem et gaudeamus igitur!" 🙂
Magnifique commentaire, Mélanie ~ and the quote and feeling from Ella’s quote is a great way to start any day. Enjoy time and the world around us. Wishing you a great weekend and if vaccinated, especially in Europe these days, you’ve got a great chance to enjoy it 🙂 Cheers to your health and happiness!
I was happy to expend some of those heartbeats admiring those glorious images, including the family photos that seem full of joy. I think I’ve been conscious of time since I was quite young – always worrying about whether I would have enough time in my life to do the things I wanted to do. It’s often come up as a theme in the stories that I write – how much time is enough / how to best use your time. I think there comes a point when you can see more clearly the finite time you have, when you realise you’ve probably had more life than what you have left, and that’s when the heart-searching really comes, about what you’ve done with your life and how you should spend the rest of it! Whatever the case, I think it’s the small moments that expand time, but sometimes we do what we love and time passes quickly in that process of ‘flow’ but we feel satisfied that we passed it well.
This is such a great comment, Andrea, as I too think it is the small moments that expand time. As a kid, these were the moments I relished and time truly seemed infinite ~ everything flowed and this is a piece of life I am most grateful. I’d say I’, also humbled by this feeling because I understand how fortunate I was growing up. These days, I am astounded about how quickly life has flowed by, and still have a bit of the child inside where moments still do feel like infinity. Watching the “world change” in so many ways along with the body aging has made me understand the ticking of the clock, and there comes the inspiration of wanting to pass the remaining time the best way possible. 🙂
well perhaps, this will stick 🤷♀️ wonderful family photographs and your narrative filled with wise words and thoughts to ponder…I appreciated ‘listen to the heartbeat and life opens up’…exciting times to be alive…sending you joy ☺️🦋hedy
Thank you, Hedy, and wish you a good weekend and start to the holiday season ~ take care.
Oh good I’m not sure I’m sure it’s me 🙄and yes it’s snowing and the light is minimal so it’s inward time but of course 👣🐶👣❄️☺️👌❄️❄️❄️I like snow…not ice.🤓
Exquisite photography, Randall!! And your very wise words ring a bell within my own heart for in these past 2 years, I have come to realize how precious life is even more then I did. And so I have plunged into life, ignoring the ruckus “out there” only to be immersed in quiet solitude and of such beauty and awe that it at times literally takes my breath away. To laugh, to dance, to read a good book, to wander in a forest knowing everywhere you looked there Power Reigns, to sing, to play, to envision heaven on earth and live that vision every day ….. and in so doing saying no to technology and hello to LIFE. Beautiful post with many words for thought. Thank you!! xo
Thank you for your nice words, Amy. When we pause and take the time to see what is possible, life is so much more interesting. Wishing you a great start to the holiday season. Take care ~
SPLENDID post – full of pure logic, common sense and optimism; your photos are as gorgeous as ever… ❤ btw, Seneca's wisdom still rules and rocks! 🙂 Stay healthy and safe, young man! Have a peaceful Sunday and a lovely week ahead with oceans of inspiration! N.B. the ancient Romans have been right, wise, realistic:"memento mori, carpe diem et gaudeamus igitur!" = remember you'll die, live up this very day and let's rejoice in it!" 🙂
“memento mori, carpe diem et gaudeamus igitur!” Very wise words, Mélanie 🙂 There is something special when we realize we are not immortal and this limited time is all we have, it makes each day more exciting ~ to take all the goodness out of it we can. Cheers to you and a great holiday season!
Lovely, lovely photos.
Thank you very much, Arlene. Wishing you well ~
🙂
Such a lovely, heartfelt post, Randall, and what a joy to see families enjoying the simplest pleasures in life. It’s also a joy to see Rainier and all the familiar surroundings! Rainier is such a beautiful mountain…up here there’s Mt. Baker, steadfast and strong, but if I had to choose I’d say I prefer Rainier’s gentle, rounded beauty. Your photos and prose have the same kind of gentle, rounded beauty as you explore what’s really meaningful in life. Cheers to you and yours!
Mt. Rainier is a beautiful mountain ~ and on the other end of Seattle is the Olympic Mountain range, so it is easy to be spoiled here in the great PNW as you well know 🙂 Not sure how many lifetimes it would take to explore Rainier and the Olympics, it seems every time I go out the more amazed I am about the scope of what lies undiscovered. Thank you, Lynn, and wish you a great holiday season too.
Quite a beautiful post Dalo. Both “art and copy”, as we would have said at the Agency. Superb photos of you and your family. Daughter, granddaughter, wife, siblings and friends I suspect. Many heartbeats. Following Seneca Camus once wrote that the absurd of human life was it shortness. And he did die young. I hope you manage to reconcile the memories of your home with the distance of czech. Not an easy thing to do. Just came back from a week in New York. One of my top 5 cities in the world. As I left I realized I can be at home (i.e. pass for a local in so many places, yet, not be home anywhere… Weird…) But it’s all right. It’s who I’ve become. when you take your first flight on a DC4 at 6 months from India to France, it’s bound to have some effect.
Take good care of yourself.
Brian.
Thank you for the wonderful comment, Brian. Hard to believe we are arriving at the end of another year ~ and does make me understand Camus and his words “the absurd of human life was it shortness.” Of course, knowing this does make it more important to realize the value of the day and appreciate it all the more. Great to hear you were able to enjoy NYC, agree in it being one of the world’s top cities… being a citizen of the world as you are, I think it a rare gift to be able to find the feeling of being a local in many places. Not a bad life to have lived 🙂 Wishing you continued health, happiness, and creative spirit my friend. Take care ~
My pleasure Dallo.
As a citizen of the world to another, I’m sure you know the that very feeling. Which is weird actually. You arrive at a place only a few foreigners have been to, and in a matter of hours, yuou remember your way around, what to expect on that corner. Your accent might even drift slightly to the locals’ style and manners. I love that immersion. Then you move elsewhere and adjust… Fun.
My very best wishes to you too. Hopefully you will spend Xmas and NY home. Joyeux Noël… 🎄
“Excellent” is a word often used for want of a better one, but I find myself having to fall back on it with regard to this post. As a retired senior citizen with never enough hours in the day, I simply don’t ‘get’ people (retired or not) who are bored and/or have nothing better to do with their time than waste or abuse it (“Idle minds are the devil’s plaything”). To quote Nietzsche: “Against boredom even the gods strugg;e in vain.”
I will say no more, because you’ve already said it better than I could.