A very special friend wrote me last night that she wished that “dream fairies would thieve my worries … and …replace them with a new day’s sunrise”.
It was the end of a very sorrowful few days and her words not only cheered me up as I went to sleep, but they also encouraged me to go and find a sunrise this morning.
So, I set out in darkness driving towards Lake Parker unaware of the conditions but hopeful these fairies might deliver.
My plan was to go to where the boat ramp and pier is on the north west side of the lake but as I arrived, I was greeted by locked gates.
Undeterred I drove a little south along the shoreline to where I have shot across open waters many times before. But as I got out of my car, I noticed that the power plant on the opposite shore was pumping out immense amounts of smoke that engulfed the shoreline and left me no chance to grab a sunrise there.
Back in the car again and further along the shore, I parked in a side street and walked to where my solitary tree on the water’s edge has graced several of my previous shots. But still the smoke from the power plant took away any view of the horizon.
When I reached my fourth stop, which was on the south west corner of the lake, it became obvious that between cloud, fog, and smoke, there was really nothing that would produce a good sunrise view.
Safe in the knowledge that fairies never fail, I reached into my camera bag and found a few sparklers and a lighter. Wouldn’t you know it … the lighter was out of fuel! But still in the glove compartment of my car was a box of matches that did the trick!
Sometimes fairies just need a helping hand in order to spark their magic into life and my parents taught me never to leave a fairy stranded.
I have attached a few of the sparkler shots and even a couple of the lighter attempting to light with its own little spark.
Hope you like them. Have you any idea how hard it is to time pressing a shutter release in one hand with a thumb movement on a lighter wheel in the other?
Such efforts really go some way to making one feel clumsy and uncoordinated!
As I drove home, I must admit that I did so with a sense of pride in refusing to admit defeat.
Sometimes the gods indeed conspire and us mere mortals can often wilt in the face of such difficulties. But if we elevate our purpose beyond our own desires, we can often give ourselves that extra drive to keep going. In my case, this morning, fairies provided my extra impetus. But in general, it could really be anything.
If we are trying to do something just for ourselves, we will often lose energy when faced with obstacles, because after all the only person we are letting down is ourselves.
While narcissists and ego-maniacal presidents may find that sufficient, the rest of us tend to settle for less than we would settle for others.
And so it is often a good idea to remind ourselves of our purpose in trying to achieve something.
Purpose for a greater good puts first responders into harms way, and health professionals into front line of pandemics. But on a less dramatic level, purpose of children also drives a single mother into exhausting work in order to take best care of her children.
Having purpose provides an important momentum into every task we embark on and helps us overcome whatever challenges we meet along the way.
On a larger level, we should also therefore decide on the purpose of our life.
A life without purpose is a waste and one with the wrong purpose is misguided at best.
Some people find their purpose in religion, others in family, others in discovery, and so on. None are better than the other, as long as they help propel us forward in life and create some benefit to loved ones and those we meet along this journey.
Years ago I found my purpose. And while I am a million miles away from being perfect, it has helped me in my efforts to become a better person.
So, consider for yourself what your purpose is in task and in life. If the answer is something that extends beyond yourself, then you too are on the right journey!
