Quiet Contemplation

I was working in Waterloo, NY today and knowing I would drive by Seneca Lake I decided to take my camera. Who am I kidding? I would have taken my camera anyway. I stopped for a quick lunch and you guessed it, a cup of coffee. The park was deserted save for a couple of individuals out for a walk. It was this desertion that I find peaceful. There was just the hint of a breeze that put a small ripple on the water. For me, these are the ideal conditions to transport me to a “contemplative place” in my life.

As I sat and ate I began thinking about Seneca Lake which is the deepest of the finger lakes at 630- feet. I started to think about how the depth and length of this lake has a pronounced influence on the weather sorrounding it. I thought of a passage from Thomas Merton’s book “Choosing to Love the World.” In this particular passage he describes the “contemplative life” and through leading such a life how he has come to influence the lives of those around him.

“When I speak of the contemplative life, I do not mean the institutional cloistered life, the organized life pr prayer…I am talking about a special dimension of inner discipline and experience, a certain integrity and fullness of personal development, which are not compatible with a purely external, alienated, busy busy existence. This does not mean that these special dimensions are incompatible with action, with creative work, with dedicated love. On the contrary, these all go together. A certain depth of disciplined experience is a necessary ground for fruitful action. Without a more profound human understanding derived from exploration of the inner ground of human existence, love wil tend to be superficial and deceptive. Traditionally, the ideas of prayer, meditation and contemplation have been associated with this deepening of one’s personal life and this expansion of the capacity to understand and serve others.”

I have a hope and it is that my work, both social work and photography touch people. Knowing that someone has smiled and were transported to a “good, happy place” because of a photo I have taken is enough for me. I hope you enjoy the photos and they can take you to that same place, physically and emotionally that I was when I took them. This hope also extends to you, my reader that you can take a few minutes out of your day and be mindful of those things and people around you as well as your actions and gain a better understanding how you can impact those around you.

Enjoy a contemplative life!