Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Photography

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words.

Grounds for Sculpture – Hamilton, NJ

How true this is. Photography can capture our world and hold moments in time in still life forever.

Certainly in this day and age, we have the technology to build fantastical photos. But I remain a fan of letting the lens, the framing and light intermix and do all this work for themselves.

The Palisades – NJ

People, places, landscapes, starscapes, skyscapes, still and running waters, animals, even technological wonders make for incredible subjects. Every photographer has his or her own specialties and preferences.

Sparta, NJ

I am an amateur photographer, have been for most of my life. I love nature, and like nothing better than taking a hike with my camera and a journal. I can photograph the world and then use it as the basis for other creations, live and in person. I also love unique and historical buildings, and impressive monoliths of technology, from aircraft to industrial machines to wind-towers.

Sedona, AZ

So rather than write an endless collage of words about the wonder of photography, I am going to show more photos, and let them do the talking.

Columncile – Bangor, PA

Photography. Truly a diverse and far-reaching wonder of our wondrous world.

I am MJ Blehart, writer and photographer for “Wednesday’s Wondrous World”. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Dragonfly

Columns, Wednesday’s Wondrous World

There are any number of insects I am not fond of. Either they bite and sting and otherwise cause suffering and misery, or they are disturbing to look at, such as mosquitoes, gnats, horseflies. And there are some that I tolerate because they do good and useful things, like spiders and bees.

Then there are the pretty insects. Butterflies, some moths, and my very favorite, the dragonfly.

Dragonflies have fascinated me since childhood. They have those elongated bodies and shimmery wings that move so very fast. And they come in such a wide range of size and color.

I have seen dragonflies about the size of a quarter. Then I have seen dragonflies the size of hummingbirds. They are particularly bountiful along streams and ponds and rivers, and I love to watch them take off and land.

I have worked hard to capture many photos of dragonflies. They do not sit still for long, and are seldom keen on letting me get too near. But I have had some success over the years, and thus have shots of some beautiful specimens of these fascinating insects.

As a child, I thought of dragonflies as ant helicopters. My vivid imagination was capable of seeing them land, pick up their passengers, whiz them off to the next destination, and repeat the cycle. Tiny transportation for smaller, less mobile creatures.

Dragonflies have of course been a source of inspiration to many others. The spacecraft Lexx in the program of the same name was an immense dragonfly-shaped vessel. The bubble craft Tom Cruise’s character in the movie Oblivion flies around in has a rather dragonfly-esque look to it.

Some see dragonflies in a more sinister light, but I think they are beautiful, colorful creatures. And let’s face it, employing the name ‘dragon’ often evokes all kinds of cool fantastical images…at least for geek-kind.

Truly a wonder of the wondrous world, Dragonflies are magical, colorful creatures that are mostly harmless to humankind, and wondrous to behold.

What do you think of dragonflies?

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” photographer and wordsmith. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Magic

Columns, Wednesday’s Wondrous World

Given the coming changes to Chakra Center, I thought this a MOST apropos topic:

Magic.

Magic has a great many implications, meanings, definitions. It can conjure images of shows put on for children with rabbits in top hats. Magic can invoke the idea of Gandalf or a similar wizard or sorcerer of fantasy. Magic might even stir the notion of witches, fictional ones like the three sisters of MacBeth, real ones such as Wiccans and the like.

Magic, however, can also take far more pedestrian and mundane appearances. That amazing sunset over a snowcapped peak. That fantastical myst arising from the lake, swirling about a romantically embraced couple. The light passing through a prism. The person calling at just that exact moment you most need to hear from him or her. All of these are magic, too.

Magic is something in every life, every day, in ways we often miss. Sometimes this is a matter of placement and timing. Sometimes, though, this is distraction, and being so focused on the routine and the mundane that the magic gets lost. But it happens none-the-less, and it is a wonder we should all be so fortunate as to be more cognizant of.

Magic happens in the most unexpected ways. It can be that inspirational passage you come across on the internet or in a book. It might be that person you accidentally bump into whom you suddenly realize you know. It is that moment when all seems lost, when hope is nearly gone that magic happens, and the world is righted again. It is love.

Humans are unique to this world in so very many ways. The manner in which we live our lives, the technologies we build, the means by which we communicate. We are also unique in the ways we differentiate ourselves from one another. Skin color, religion, nationality, political stance, gender…in our quest for individuality, we identify ourselves in increasingly divisive ways. Yet we all strive to find magic in the world. We all strive to find love.

Magic binds us to one another, to the earth herself. Everyone experiences it in some form or other. But along the way we get distracted, we allow the influence of others to sway us from practicing magic. Yet it is here, always, ready to be touched, waiting to be felt, available to everyone.

Whatever form of magic you see and acknowledge or even practice, this is something the greater good of the world can benefit from. If more people around the world could see its wonder, if more people could take joy in the magical aspects of our amazing world, we could make it a better place for everyone.

Money, power, greed, exclusion and the like are the antithesis of magic. They can entice us to believe that they are magical – money can buy happiness, power can gain you control of your destiny, greed keeps these things safe, exclusion keeps the undesirable away – but they are not magic. Magic is an ultimate wonder for everyone. And magic is more powerful when it is shared.

In a world full of wonders, some obvious, some obscure, Magic is a glue that can bind the wonders to us. No matter what form it takes, no matter how it is employed, magic can and should be a greater part of our everyday lives.

Do you remember the first encounter you had with something you considered magical? Do you remember the sense of wonder and excitement it filled you with? Do you recall feeling inspired by magic, feeling empowered by magic? Did you find yourself hoping for more opportunities to feel that indescribable sensation only something magical causes?

Can you imagine how the world might be if more people lived with magic in their lives? I believe that is the goal sought for the future of Chakra Center, and I am fully in support of sharing this particular wonder of the world to a broader audience. A more magical world, I believe, is a happier, more peaceful, more inspirational place for all.

Magic is a true wonder of our wondrous world. What magic have you experienced in your life lately?

I am MJ Blehart, writer and photographer for “Wednesday’s Wondrous World”. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!