I took this picture almost 10 years ago from my apartment. It is a view looking east and what appears as an inset is actually a reflection off the window of the sunset in the west. What constitutes the positive moment today is that for one reason or another I found myself absorbed by this shot which I have framed and hanging on the wall above the dining table along with other pictures of flowers by Jennifer and a picture of prayer cloths hanging on a line taken by a friend and mentor on her trek in the Himalayas.
What struck me about this picture today was that I captured this singular moment in time. The same shot or a variation of it never occurred again, because I looked. It is true, a lot has changed in 10 years, at least a dozen new high-rise buildings have sprouted that now block the western view and the glorious sunsets that I once enjoyed. Change is constant, not only in the second by second setting of the sun itself but in all things, as a result of both progress and deterioration among other things. Most of the change is out of my control. The one thing that I can manage is to be present in the moment.
This is what I recognized this morning, being in the present moment allowed me to capture this sight on camera. It is a reminder that by pondering the past or fretting the future will only interfere with seeing what is right in front of me at that moment.
My strength here is recognizing the power of being in the present moment and introspection. I feel enlightened.
