When I think of a free spirit I think of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, a short novella I read over thirty years ago. Have you read it?
“Your whole body, from wingtip to wingtip is nothing more than your thought itself, in a form you can see. Break the chains of your thought, and you break the chains of your body too.” _Jonathan
Briefly, Jonathan is not content with a mundane existence. Rather, he wants to soar above the earth and to overcome all of his limitations. Like all people who want to be different, he faces opposition from his flock of gulls who punish him, ridicule him and kick him out of the flock. Jonathan, alone, continues to follow his heart. Eventually, he meets other gulls like him who wish to spend their lives flying and reaching new heights. Finally, Jonathan returns to his flock to teach them that there is more to life than they think. He is aware that he is free and teaches others that they are free too.
“Freedom is the very nature of his being, that whatever stands against that freedom must be set aside, be it ritual or superstition or limitation in any form.” _Jonathan
Does Jonathan remind you of anyone you know? As a photographer I usually think of myself as Jonathan, free to soar to new heights, to be different and to continue to learn. As a blogger, on the other hand, I often feel like I am “feeding the beast.” Don’t misunderstand, I love blogging and especially the WordPress community but I often feel like I must “post or perish.” Anyone else?
adinparadise
3 Sep 2012No I haven’t seen it, but your video is stunning. (I see you’re also a hammock fan.) 😀
fotograffer
5 Sep 2012Thanks. Hammocks rock. 🙂
adinparadise
5 Sep 2012😆 Good one.
dunden
3 Sep 2012Beautiful presentation, Ron.
I found the fact that, sometimes, music will add some layers to the photographs and make them richer.
And I love the story you have created.
Especially when the birds are flying little by little towards to the end of the movie,
gave me a goose bumps.
Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
fotograffer
5 Sep 2012Thank you my friend. Yes, it is amazing how music can enhance the visual experience. I am glad you enjoyed the little video. I hope to do more.
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jakesprinter
4 Sep 2012Great free spirit entry 🙂
fotograffer
5 Sep 2012Thank you Jake.
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snowbirdpress
4 Sep 2012I suppose I’ve had so many losses in my life that it has freed me up quite a bit. I try to take each day as it is… experience it as a bird on the wing…. and then come home to roost. The last few months have been filled with one snafoo after another, one trip-up after another….but once you have lost the dearest in your life, these losses are momentarily there and then disappear as you adjust to the new situation.
I’ve taken on a blog in the service of others… to document their haiku and tanka… so I do have a feeling of responsibility to post to the end of the journey. But it I could not post, I will know I’ve done what I could … and either pick it up when I can or let it go. I love to read the blogs that come from this endeavor… it’s a bonus I didn’t expect. But if they could not post I certainly would understand and when and if they decided to post later I’d probably be here… (but then no one knows where the road will lead, or when the jewelweed will pop!) So while you’re here… I offer you my thanks for great posts.
fotograffer
5 Sep 2012Thank you for such a heartfelt comment. While I can not begin to image what you must be having to endure, I can say that what you are doing with your blog is so inspiring and so lovely. Clearly it is coming from you heart and you do it so well. Your drawings, like haiku, have just enough detail to tell the story but not too much. I look forward to your posts and know that many others do as well.
snowbirdpress
5 Sep 2012Many thanks, fotograffer…. The poets that I’ve done these haiga for have been such a joy to me through all the detours of my life. The joy you see in them is a thanksgiving, I think, that the human spirit can be free in spite of what this old world can throw at it. I love the proposition you posed with your photo.
frizztext (@frizztext)
7 Sep 2012fine header!