Thick fog and cloud blanketed the area this morning and even though it was pitch black when I was deciding how to start my day, I knew it held no promise of any kind of dawn.
That being said, I could have stayed at home. But the kitty chores were done and there were still a couple of hours until daylight and sometimes that itch just has to be scratched.
So I grabbed the camera with the new 24mm lens and headed into downtown Lakeland to see if they had the holiday decorations up yet.
I wasn’t disappointed as the small park area just off main street was lit up beautifully. Yes, it is only small-town decorations and not vying for international recognition but it was tasteful and well-appointed so I felt this was a good way to continue testing the new lens.
Unfortunately for me, once I got out of the car with the camera, I couldn’t find my glasses and was pissed at myself for leaving them at home.
“You taking pictures?” a homeless dude asked as I fumbled the camera onto the tripod.
“I hope so” was my reply and I went on to explain that I can’t see shit on the camera settings without my glasses. “So, who knows what I’m gonna get” I added as I took the first picture.
I took some shots there and then finished up by Lake Mirror a couple of blocks away. I have added some of what I got at the end of the blog. Hope you enjoy.
By the way, when I arrived home and went to take the camera off the tripod I found my glasses that had attached themselves to the strap on the camera. I had them all along! Such an eejit.
In any event, while I was there, I noticed there were about fifteen or twenty homeless people scattered around the park (and another couple down by Lake Mirror on benches) and with all the lights and seasonal music that was blaring away on speakers, I wondered what they thought of the holiday season.
In contrast, the nearby streets were a hive of activity as street vendors began setting up their stalls for some kind of Christmas market that must be running this weekend.
As I drove away, I wasn’t begrudging at all these small business vendors and whatever monies they would make, nor the customers that would throng the stalls later getting more “stuff” for under the tree. Everyone is fully entitled to do that.
But I was left wondering on how the homeless people there saw this contrast and what it does to their own sense of well-being.
The lights and seasonal music must remind them of the holidays that they will not be spending with loved ones. And the market mayhem later will serve to remind them of everything they don’t have under their own tree.
Oh wait, they don’t have a tree of their own anyway, so what’s the deal?
Well the truth is that everyone has a tree, even if only in their own mind. It becomes the focal point of the material side of this holiday celebration. Just as the gathering with loved ones becomes the focus of the emotional side.
This is not just about homeless people either. There are lots of people out there who will have nothing to celebrate nor anyone to celebrate with.
Loneliness is the true blue Christmas that these folk experience.
Some of this is caused by loss of loved ones or even loss of love itself.
But much of it is caused by our continued evolution into a more isolated society. As we move more online and shy away from personal contact, we give our lives a distinct blue pallor that colors every facet of our lives.
We remote shop, remote work, only eat take-out or food that is delivered. Our relationships move online, with both loved ones and family. And we avoid contact with our neighbors.
I re-watched that movie Surrogates a couple of weeks back and startled myself at how accurately it paints a society that embraces isolation. I am not recommending it as a wonderful movie experience by all means, but its message is one that we need to be aware of.
Humans, like much of the living planet, are social creatures. Our development has revolved around social interactions and yet we are now shunning them at an alarming rate.
How many of us dutifully use the self-checkouts now at our grocery stores? These are becoming the norm and unlikely to reverse course.
And the number of people that are shifting to “customer pick-up” spots rather than getting out of their fucking cars and walking the aisles, where god-forbid, they might actually encounter another human or two that they might have to acknowledge.
I went to Walmart in Brandon during the week and they were promoting their new home delivery by drone service, so soon we won’t even get to meet the person that brings us our stuff.
Much of this shift becomes invisible to us throughout our normal existence but at times of the years where we are supposed to be celebrating with our fellow man, it becomes more obvious.
Blue Christmas is a lovely old song by Elvis Presley. But that’s all it should be.
No one deserves to live a blue life.
… just a thought!
