Whatcha Missing?

Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2009

Nice Photo!

Have you noticed how many people are (a) racing along the streets and alleyways (b) plugged in (c) oblivious to other people (d) unaware of landscapes (e) ignoring architecture (f) in a zone all by themselves...

Stop!! Yes...YOU!

Nice photo... Stop...take a closer look at the photo.

See the symmetry? The detail of old/new/old/new... the lives lived? The artist's touch?

We could easily have just walked by this alleyway in Canal Park, the historic landmark in Duluth Minnesota. But carrying a camera has a way of making the mundane much more interesting. What caught my eye was the view through the walkway to the hillside. The connecting piece between buildings. And then, the wonky window above.

At eye level, even the disposal bins had a certain je ne sais quoi about them, adding a hint of everyday to a truly magnificent composition. Kind of come-by-chance architecture? Gaze at the fire escapes for a bit. What balance...

No one joined us on that cold spring day to stand and stare at an alley. We were ignored. Life went on. One dad chatted on a cell phone and hauled his 3 year old across the street by one arm. Another couple seemed to be hanging around, coffees in hand, ipods plugged in. The view was completely ours. They missed it.

My point is that we're scanning information instead of reading...seeing but not registering...dare I say, existing rather than living? Whizzing by not understanding why?

Stop the rush...................................hush............................................