February 4, 2002
Moments Caught In Time
"Moments
caught in time that reflect back a glimpse of the soul."
That describes how I felt
Saturday night about the pictures we looked through while helping our daughter
on a project. Photographs can be so
powerful when we take the time to connect with the story they tell… both
visually and emotionally.
Our lives are filled with so
many experiences that it is hard to keep track of them all.
From the time most of us can remember, our picture was being taken.
With rare exception, most pictures taken revolved around happy times like
birthdays, vacations, parties, or outings.
They were taken to remember a moment in our lives when the worries of the
world stopped for an instant and we were told to “Smile!”
For several hours, my wife and
daughter sat and discussed what each photo represented, who was in each one and,
occasionally, why on earth they ever bought that outfit.
Not once did I hear them comment on what had happened before or after a
given shot, what was happening in world politics, or what the economy was up to
or down to. The smiles, the
laughter, the longing, even the tears were focused on a moment in time.
Suddenly the vacation that had several stressful moments along the way
became momentary anecdotes.
I decided to join in the fun and
began to see many familiar pictures of people and places.
It was wonderful to see a few that I had either forgotten about, or had
never seen before. There were a few taken where I had worked for many years and
had experienced more rough times than good.
Suddenly, seeing a photo of me behind my desk in an office I loved, I was
awash in memories of only the good times and of the people I loved there.
Just before Christmas our family
was invited to the house of some friends whom we did not know very well.
Terri is a fabulous interior designer, which made our visit to their home
for the first time very enjoyable. Beyond
the use of color and furnishings, what struck us most was how many photos
appeared all over the house. By the
time we had investigated each room, we felt we knew the Hall’s as if we had
shared more than an occasional chance meeting in the grocery store, at a school
function, or at the local coffee bar. Their
use of these moments in time truly gave us a look into their individual and
collective souls.
It amazes me that just looking
at a box of old and new photographs can offer a spiritual experience if we let
the images talk to our souls. The
voice of the photograph might tell us that we are loved, that nature is a gift
to be cherished, or that we were silly to want that shirt and tie or dress that
we pined for weeks about, thus pointing out to us what is really important in
life.
Can an evening of thumbing
through pictures really reveal glimpses of the soul? Why not give it a try and find out for yourself.
See if it brings forth memories and emotions that run the gamut and
thereby touches your soul.
With respect, acceptance, and love,
Richard
©
Richard D. Olson and Awaken The Soul, 2002; Edited by Janice E. Olson