July 22nd, 2019

I listened to David Whyte being interviewed on "On Being" yesterday.  He talked about how our focuses changed over the span of a lifetime.  It occurred to me that somewhere in there may part of an explanation of why so many of my images are dark in the last year or two (besides the fact that I just like the technique I've been using and black and white images generally). Here's what he has to say about vulnerability:

"Vulnerabilty is not a weakness, a passing indisposition, or something we can arrange to do without, vulnerability is not a choice, vulnerability is the underlying, ever present and abiding undercurrent of our natural state.  To run from vulnerability is to run from the essence of our nature, the attempt to be invulnerable is the vain attempt to become something we are not and most especially, to close off our understanding of the grief of others.  More seriously, in refusing our vulnerability we refuse the help needed at every turn of our existence and immobilize the essential, tidal and conversational foundations of our identity.

To have a temporary, isolated sense of power over all events and circumstances, is a lovely illusionary privilege and perhaps the prime and most beautifully constructed conceit of being human . . . but it is a privilege that must be surrendered . . . with ill health, with accident, with the loss of loved ones . . ."  

Live long enough and this becomes obvious, unless one is so self-deluded that one fails to recognize it (perhaps an explanation of Trumpism?).