Perspective 101
by Mark Jabo
“This dump is called smokey mountain for a reason, here a boy tries the seemingly impossible task of trying not to stand on any sharp objects.”
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There are some days when it doesn’t feel all that great to be a professional smart-ass … stuff like this is going on and I’m writing about what Al Gore had for dinner.
The above photo of a bare-footed child is from a remarkable collection taken by photographer Julian Li.
This image, along with the others photos in the series, pretty much trumped anything else I thought about putting up here today.
If the world is to survive, it will be through education and a philosophy that espouses the sanctity of individual rights.
Sorry for the buzz-kill.
I’ll be back tomorrow. I just need a little time off….
Cambodia, children, individual rights
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July 20th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
As the Foo Fighters so poignantly put it: “It’s times like these you learn to love again…”
I really think in this time, this space, with everything that’s going on, we need to understand what it is that we believe. This is not the first time the earth has been on the brink; nor will it be the last. What distinguishes “us” from earlier generations who have witnessed the earth’s fall from grace is that we know it’s happening. (Hence the “Ignorance is bliss” cliche) We can see it and document it and transmit the evidence globally; and because the population is so immensely larger than it has ever been, not to mention the technologies and levels of destruction, more people/cultures/countries are affected on greater levels.
But this is going to happen. We can do our part to ease the process, but as with our ancestors, we are essentially powerless to stop it.
We can make statements and calls to action, bring awareness and urge compassion… Great leaders have always done so: Jesus was crucified, Buddha wept, Martin Luther King, Jr. marched, etc…
But for me… when I come to a place where I realize that we (humans) are really just blips on the universal radar, that we are only here for a relatively small amount of time, we play only a small role in this grand play… well, then these daily atrocities don’t break my heart as badly as they would otherwise.
And hey, everyone needs some time off at some point… take all the time you need.
July 21st, 2007 at 8:34 am
Mark, My website records all links to my galleries and so I came here to see who was linking and what you wrote. Thanks for linking me.
Maggie, what does Dave Grohl and the Foo know about what these kids go through, Im dissappointed that your heart isnt feeling much here. I was there, I cried, and I think if you were there, you’d feel the same.
July 21st, 2007 at 11:38 am
Julian, thanks for stopping by.
I’m not sure any of us know what these kids are going through, but I think the Foo Fighters quote has relevance. I know for me it was a situation where your photos just caused me to stop and think a bit about life. I think that is a good thing and, if it leads you to love again or, perhaps, to be more receptive to love…even better.
I think you may have misinterpreted Maggie’s efforts to suggest a way of dealing with the impact of your photos with the idea that she somehow didn’t feel anything.
I’m going to suggest that it’s almost impossible to see those photos and not feel anything. Still, we all need to find a way to continue on so that we can continue to live and improve the world.
Maggie, I very much appreciated your words and sentiments. I did find comfort in them as well as some needed perspective. Thank you.
I think we all need to deal with the both the joys and the horrors of life in our own way.
Thanks to both of you guys for caring enough to take time to stop by the blog and offer your thoughts.
July 21st, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Julian,
I’m not sure if you’ll check back here to see this reply, but please know that I was incredibly moved by your gallery and I commend you on making that journey. Most people are not fortunate enough to see the other side of life. Yes, I say “fortunate” because what you take from a journey of that magnitude will always be infinitely greater than anything you could leave…
I immediately understood/felt the despair in Mark’s post because I’ve felt it myself many times before. How can we sit here and drink our lattes and drive our cars and throw food away because we’re full when there are so many people out there who have nothing? How arrogant are we…
I’ve found through my own journeys that the best way for me to come to terms with these harsh realities is to appeal to the balance within; and that balance (for me) comes through love and giving. So maybe I can’t fly over to Cambodia and give these children what they need, but I can help a local children’s shelter here, or help a gallery that houses local artists pay their rent. Every day affords each of us the opportunity to give and to learn and to love. It is up to us to take those opportunities.
Mark,
I’m glad you understood what I was saying and even more that you found comfort and perspective.
Next time maybe I should use a U2 quote or something…