The lead-in to summer 2011 was not a good time for me. Several years of
stress and strain were about to take their toll and my mind was saying “enough”.
Things improved over the summer, thanks largely to support of family and
friends.
Fast forward to Christmas and year end - a time of year when it is natural
to look backward on what has been and to look forward to what one hopes the
future may hold. This is where the wheels came off a bit. Looking backward just
raised questions to which I may never get the answers. Probably best not to
dwell on it then. What of the future? Well, I was struck by an interview on Jan
2nd with Prof. Richard Tol of the Economic and Social Research
Institute (ESRI). It turns out he has decided to up sticks from Ireland and
head to the UK. He believes that austerity in Ireland will not last 4 years –
more like 10-15 years. Probably best not to think too much about the future either,
although my heart goes out to all, especially our young people, who are forced
by economic circumstances to move overseas and also to their families who watch
them go.
So I’ve decided for the New Year to try to live just in the moment. It won’t
be easy. There will be reminders of the stresses I’ve had over the past few years.
At least now I know these are potential ‘trigger points’ for me so hopefully I
will be able to deal with that. It will be impossible to avoid hearing about the
future, especially from the ‘doom and gloom’ merchants. Ok – maybe they are
right and we are in for a period of prolonged austerity. Our ancestors survived
worse, and so will we. As individuals, our span of control in these matters is
quite limited. What we can control is how we deal with it. I’m going to deal
with it by not worrying about it – which is going to be a challenge for a
natural worrier!
So, what’s going to keep me grounded ‘in the moment’? I believe my new-found
interest in the form of photography is going to help me a lot with that. When I’m
out with the camera I spend so much time thinking about my surroundings and the
potential shots I can take that I don’t have time to worry or analyse anything
else! And what else is photography other than capturing the moment – not the
past, not the future but the absolute here and now. Fail to get the shot and it’s
gone forever. That exact moment will never happen again.
To ensure I spend adequate time engaged in my pursuit, I’ve signed up for a
‘52’ project. That means submitting one photo a week on a specific theme for
the duration of 2012. I can’t wait to submit my first photo at the end of this
week. I’ll post a link to my ‘52’ here on my blog once I have posted the first
picture. I’m hoping that some of the shots will inspire future blog posts – note
- hoping, but not worrying!
Unfortunately, New Year’s Day doesn’t count in the particular ‘52’ project
I signed up for, as Week 1 began at 00:00 on Jan 2nd. However, the
particular photo I wanted to accompany this blog post is one I took on January
1st. It was at the Bray Charities Sea Swim. This annual event,
organised by Bray Lions Club, has been going for 28 years and has the dual
purpose of having some festive fun while raising funds for local charities.
Over the years, the event has realised more than €250,000 for a long list of
worthy local causes. Around 200 swimmers took part this year and proceeds are
going to Bray St. Vincent de Paul.
Why did I choose this particular photo? Firstly, I like the expression on
Frank’s face (and the colour of his towel, which originally attracted me to the
shot). What I didn’t realise at the time is the great back-drop of the crowd. It
shows what a community event the sea swim is – people straining to see or to
catch a shot of a family member, neighbour or friend brave enough to take to
the water. I’ll bet all those swimmers were ‘in the moment’ as they plunged in
to the cold waters of the Irish Sea!
A very Happy New Year to you all :)
A very Happy New Year to you all :)
