Be still
January 15th, 2010
I read this today and wanted to share. This is Vera Farmiga, talking about the book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek 
“In one sublime passage, she [Dillard, the author of the book] talks about how in order to see things in all their dazzle and beauty you’ve got to be still. I’ve always found that paragraph very poignant, because in the age of high-speed Internet, fast food, and express checkouts, we attack everything at breakneck speed- so many people cannot, will not, and do not know how to be still.”
Do you take moments to be still? Can you make one today? Will you?
And will you share with us the dazzle and beauty you see?
This is one of the things I love about photography. Learning to see things through the eye of my lens has helped me take notice of things that I may not have noticed previously. Things like the tall grass moving on the side of the road, the ice crystals on a small leaf or a feather floating on a breeze. I have ulterior motives for noticing these things as I’m on the lookout for good shots or good backgrounds for portraits, but still the lens has helped me be more aware.
My parents were friends with Annie Dillard when she lived on Lummi Island, WA and wrote a Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. It’s a small claim to fame.
I love her writing though. She makes me think about things like how Thoreau makes me think about things.
It’s funny that this should be your post today. It is our 38th wedding anniversary today. I have been thinking and reflecting on the good, the not so good, and wouldn’t change a moment of if it!
I’ve been marveling at the sunshine between January storms lately. Winter sun is different from summer sun.
But the “Be Still” admonition may be impossible for some young people. In recent years, psychiatrists are encountering young people who seem to need constant (usually electronic) sensory input in order not to feel bored. Some kids are uncomfortable in nature without some electronic device. They can’t “be still” without being uncomfortable.
Keep those electronic devices away from the little ones while their brains are developing. TV too.
p.s. – “Mr. Rogers” is reputed to be free from much of the deleterious electronic effect on kids’ brains because of the way the series was filmed. Different screen technologies may also make a difference. Some of the newer ones may be better, but I haven’t really researched this.