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Grey

January 23, 2007

ph_oct_grey.jpg

Union Station ~ Canon 30d

Yesterday had to be one of the greyest days I've ever encountered. Monochromatic ~ displaying a million permutations and gradations from almost-white to charcoal-grey. I talked with a friend during lunch who said he read an article where some "expert" concluded yesterday was the most depressing day of the year. This, based upon research into how many Americans are now strapped for cash as they try to pay off their xmas bills... the shortness of the day... the crappiness of the weather... the worries over global warming... the war in iraq... the president's impending state of the union address...etc... etc... etc...

Lucky for me, I was sitting inside a rather nice design studio while filling in for an art director who was on vacation... it's a freelance gig I rarely do... getting out of my home office... but every now and again I find it's really good for me to push myself out of my comfort zone... which, from time to time... starts looking like a faded black and white photograph.

I'm not sure what the hell I'm talking about. It's 6:30am, and I just got finished meditating. I'm drinking the first sips of my morning coffee, and the scene outside my window looks like a re-run from yesterday. grey. Not a lovely blue-grey, mind you... or a warm taupe-grey... just January grey. Since it snowed a couple days ago (and subsequently melted) it's just plain bleak out there.

sipping coffee again.

I got an email from a friend last night. He said he was crabby after fighting traffic all the way home. It sounded as though he had swum through an ocean of malaise.... which only supported my other friend's thesis ~ that yesterday was the greyest of all the grey days. It got me to thinking... when it starts looking like porridge outside, it should be a signal to start looking for some contrasts. (Did I spell "porridge" correctly? I've had only 3 sips of coffee, and am too lazy to type in dictionary.com... even though that's what I just did eight words ago.)

Contrasts. When there's a sea of drab porridge surrounding us, maybe it's time to start digging deeper into the well. You know, the deep place? where artistic geniuses like you and me save the creative bobbles and trinkets... quotes, fortune cookies, plastic super hero figurines, prayers, and hand-written notes sent by your mother just to say that she loves you. The place, deep in the heart's memory bank, where mental copies of Van Gogh's sunflowers, Edward Weston's sand dunes, Mary Oliver's poetry, Edna St. Vincent Millay's prose, Nadar's portraits, strawberry daquiris, and snowflakes, like frozen stars, hanging like ornaments around the face of a loved one are held safe and secure for the misty, rainy attic days which descend upon our aching souls.

Find the contrast between the inner and the outer, and focus on that which is brighter and more colorful. The world would be less of a place than it currently is without the chewy, caramel, nougaty filling we can share with this grey, grey, grey and broken world.

{"As is" entry. I refuse to proof read this early in the morning. Image above shot at Union Station in early October.}

Posted by vincent at January 23, 2007 06:56 AM

Comments

Just fine 'as is', madam...

Regards from eB in SLC.

Posted by: eB at January 23, 2007 09:36 AM

And as usual, men in DC wear blue shirts. After almost 5 years living here, I'm beginning to wonder if it's the only color other than white that men are allowed to wear...

Posted by: Lauren at January 23, 2007 11:07 AM

The snow was crunchy though, and small children with ladybug and firetruck boots had a grand time smashing around in it. Gray - or "gwoomy", as they say - days hold no power over 4-yr.-olds!

Posted by: tamara at January 23, 2007 11:13 AM

okay, okay! Whe gloomy is pronounced "gwoomy" all is well with the world! Uncle!

Posted by: susan at January 23, 2007 11:21 AM

The photo is mesmerizing.............. I am a sucker for those deep perspective things. Your comments are very thoughtful for 6:30 am! I hope the sky turns blue and white puffy clouds surround a bright and cheerful sun over DC soon. Why not find a bright red flower (maybe a poppy) in a florist shop and add cheer to your apartment tomorrow??? Flowers always remove the Gwoom from my brow.

Posted by: janet at January 23, 2007 04:16 PM

Thanks, mom. You're a sucker for anything I shoot. Well, actually that's not true. Come to think of it, you've always raised an eyebrow and pointed to something you liked more when presented with one of my weaker images. The sky is sunny now, so we got our wish... Everyone comes down with a case of the "gwoomies" now and then. This entry is more of a reflection on what typically happens this time of year than where I actually find myself today. There's so much to be thankfuuuuul for!!!!

Posted by: susan at January 23, 2007 04:23 PM