now, not later

The TV was on as background noise but caught my attention when I saw Toni Morrison. She was speaking about how children look to see if their parent’s faces light up when the adult sees them. For some reason the words does your face light up resonated with me perhaps because the grin on the face of a gentleman who came into my life when I lived in NYC let me know that for the first time, I was in love. When I walked into any room to meet him anywhere, he was glowing…and so was I. It was like the world stopped; there is something so wonderful about being noticed by someone you want to notice you. I wonder about that when I am taking pictures.

Though I have taken groups of things in their natural setting, I seem to be drawn to focusing in on one flower, a particular sprig of grass, that solitary knot on a tree. Transfixed, a dialog with not a single word spoken begins between me and whatever I am shooting. It’s as if what’s before me is saying look at me, I’m ready for my close up and make sure you get me right and in my best light if you please. I find that this happens most often when I am shooting flowers. Now I must admit that I’m the one who started this when I began to take pictures of my cut flowers as if they had come to a studio to have their portrait done. Countless angles at various times of the day in front of black, white or other backgrounds over the entire period of time they stood in a vase. They were most cooperative. But being outdoors with flora in their environment, oh please! They beckon to me, primp for the camera, want to be seen, I get set to oblige. Invariably they toss themselves into a breeze as if to say, just kidding; I’m patient though, rewarded with breathtaking results many times over.

The other day as I concentrated on the spiky flower at the top of a long slender stalk, I noticed several ladybugs going about their business in the glints of sun that peeked from above. One of them was lazily sunning. For several minutes, I tried to capture her at her best angle but no matter how I adjusted the zoom, she would not come into focus. Perhaps she did not wish to be noticed since, in all her blurriness, she began to move; my heart sank as I saw my picture crawling away. Until I discovered that she had perched her plump little self at the tiniest tip of the stalk and struck a pose as if to say, "Okay sistah, take your best shot!" And that I did. It was an amazing moment that kept my face lit up long after I had thanked her and we had both gone on about our business.

Everyone wants to be noticed, recognized, in the spotlight at some point in time. Unfortunately, we don’t always know when someone is in need or maybe we’re too conditioned to only take note when things look bright. Think about how quick we are to compliment someone once they lose weight, do something with that strange hair, get that promotion we watched pass over them too many times, or finally pull away from a relationship that we never understood. How we’re ready to jump on the band wagon once the music is swinging or climb onto the boat only when it transforms from a dinghy to a yacht. Why do we wait to open our mouths when the slightest bit of attention paid right now could be the much needed boost to move someone closer to whatever end they seek sooner rather than later?

 

So say something uplifting now, not later and upon seeing those whom you like or love, be they friend, family, adult, or child tell them you are so glad they are alive without speaking a word. Just let your face do the talking and…

keep your peepers open!®