Sunday, January 22, 2012

Window on the World


When I was a little girl, my Window on the World consisted of sitting in the loft of our barn or on top of the neighbor's garage roof. From those lofty views, the wire and wood fences  were the bookends of the World....


One day my third grade teacher pulled out a blue and brown globe. She spoke about China, it seemed so mysterious, colorful and distant on the OTHER side of the globe. 



"Other" to me meant THROUGH!  I could imagine no way to get there but to DIG down deep...and thus, I started a BIG HOLE with a very little red tin shovel.    




Just before entering my teens, my aunts took my sister and me on a JOURNEYCrammed in a car, with no air conditioning, we crossed the farm lands of Utah, the desert flats of Nevada.....the lush vegetation of California ending at the OCEAN!!!!


Huge, Frightening, Noisy, Cold, Never ending, Infinity, the Pacific Ocean. Surely this was the true "bookend" to the World. 


Slowly years drifted  by, the windows of my world became larger, more transparent, more welcoming. I had a choice: walk through, or stay behind.

Windows can separate us, divide us, keep others out, make us strangers, alienate.
Or windows can be an open invitation to the other side.  
And yes, one day I did go to  China, but I left my little red shovel behind.


Heart Thought:  have you ever encountered a window that shut you out? Were you able to "go through to the other side?" 






10 comments:

  1. Beautifully written and pictured. I notice arches are so oft present in these "window" images, and love in the first image using that ancient arch-and thinking of it as a window.
    I think windows can shut us out or even in, but in most cases we can see thru them. I take so many reflection images-reflections on windows, I wonder what metaphor that might hold-or maybe none at all, just another kind of art.
    I like that most of your images invite one to sit and ponder. I might enjoy sitting close to that window with the blue shutters-indoors or out. I can almost feel a balmy breeze-one of my favorite things.
    Happy day Sharon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sharon, I love all your windows on the world. Your photos make me wish I were there...to walk by or sit next to and look in or out of each and every one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sharon,
    I love how you share so much of yourself in your posts.I too remember those thoughts about digging my way to China - it seemed perfectly rational to me as a child. And I so admire that you have travelled to all these places and made your world both in actuality and internally, so much larger and more expansive through your creative pursuits. And I am a complete sucker for arches - so that first image is a definite favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I loved your story here, your images. I especially loved that you said that to you, "other" meant "through". I decided to follow your blog after reading those words. Your banner is beautiful!
    Peace and Light,
    noelle

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful post... a reminder to open every door and take a chance.

    x...x

    ReplyDelete
  6. always i am fascinated with windows and doors.. these are wonderful images, reminiscent of my home for a time in Greece and travels both distant and recent past to Italy. California too was once home, birth of my first, my son, and China i hear a lot about amongst my Asian friends who hail from Philippines, China, Korea, Brunei, mystical worlds still only in my imagination, Chinese New Years dinner last night - this psot is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I want to sit
    and savor
    the feel
    the color
    and the scent
    of each of these spots
    and to share
    a cup of tea
    with you
    and dream...

    xox - eb.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ah, an exquisite tale, dear story teller, with absolutely scrumptious photos to match. I love to photograph windows and doors, too. All kids in earlier times tried to dig to China, I think. It was nice to remember when I believed that I could. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. good morning dear friend,
    beautiful discoveries here and your generosity in sharing each makes them all the more precious. i am holding on to the sight of you as a young girl sitting on life's highest vantage point...already swept far outside yourself as one who sees deeply the beauty in each moment. the red shovel..priceless as is the idea of going "through"...powerful gifts for so young a girlchild. how this search and honoring of beauty resonates through out your entire life. you who paints with passion, with photographs captures rare moments others easily would miss, you who looks deeply for the innate beauty in all people in our world family.
    thank you for being who you are and for giving everyone a bright red shovel and deep passion for love.
    xoxoxoxox

    ReplyDelete
  10. You took me on a breathtaking tour of the world and back in time. I, too, remember wanting to dig and dig in my back yard and thought that I could reach China from East Los Angeles.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking your time to drop by and leave a note. Warmly, Sharon