Since my car died on Christmas Eve, I have found myself very hampered by not being able to get around much.
The only sunrise I could go to was the one within walking distance on Walker Road, and the only trail I could wander was my own yard.
I found it quite miserable to have my freedom of movement curtailed in such a manner and it robbed me of photo shoots at a time when I had time to do so.
The Walker Road shoot was mediocre at best and the cloudy or foggy days in my yard produced little by way of interest other than a poor fern that was restrained from its normal growth by a complex web above it.
And then this morning, I came across a lovely pleated mushroom in the dark while removing some of the overnight dishes from the possums.
I looked at it and thought it would be nice to shoot using a couple of my portable lights while it was still dark. I put on a blue and a red gel and was pleased with what I was able to take.
It was then I noticed that (like the fern) the mushroom was also restrained in its normal growth by a single blade of grass. I took some with it in place and others after I moved it.
I have added a small few images at the end of the blog.
It was really while looking at the images with the fern and the mushroom, that the thought formed in my head around the effect that a simple web and a blade of grass had on both.
And it made me think how the environment we are in shapes our growth in a similar manner, often restraining us or hindering our progress as we go through life.
Like the fern, sometimes the environment issue is significant, but other times a single blade of grass can stop us reaching our full potential.
Where I have seen the former in real life is how people who have emerged from environments where their childhood involved abusive parents or significant poverty become muted versions of who they could otherwise have been. Conversely, others are born into significant family wealth and doors open easily for them as they seek to grow their lives.
There is little that can be done about significant environmental constraints like that and much like the fern, our lives are very often restrained from achieving our full potential.
But other times, we allow a simple blade of grass to affect our growth and rather than conquering it or moving it aside, we allow it to dictate how much of our potential we achieve.
Recognizing that what we are looking at is simply a blade of grass, is an important first step in addressing how to overcome it. It might be a temporary cash flow issue, an unexpected pregnancy, a sudden illness, or whatever and recognizing its temporary nature, we should not allow it to place a permanent constraint on what we look to achieve in life.
Significantly, temporary issues may loom very large in our lives at any given moment and they can appear to consume our thoughts when they happen. But life decisions should never be made in consideration of them. They will either fade or we will deal with them and the ramifications of life decisions will long outlive them.
We can become intimidated or overwhelmed by their size and that is totally understandable. Perhaps we may even need help in dealing with them. But, either way, deal with them we must.
This morning when I moved the blade of grass, I felt sad for the little mushroom. He had no ability to move it himself and no voice to ask for help in moving it.
But we are not mushrooms. Although I know several people who behave as though they are. We play a much more active role in dealing with our environment.
Or at least, we should.
… just a thought.
