Dear Friend,
Back on January 1st 2023, I started writing to you because things were changing, radically. Frank and I were going to be going on the road, seeing places, meeting people, photographing, sharing… and we have been doing that even though our ‘road trip’ has evolved into a long string of house and pet-sitting stints. We’ve pivoted, happily, and though our Big Plans have been through many metamorphoses, we are still making our way, grateful to be on this journey together.
Not surprisingly, people have stopped asking us, Where to next?
We still consider acquiring a trailer or a camper. We still look at maps - are you kidding? Neither one of us wants this ‘road trip’ to end prematurely. But clearly, our trajectory has become a bit more static. Even so, there is still so much to discover, so many unknowns to meet, life has not stopped being an adventure!
How do you see life? I’m sure it’s more than just a series of calendar days or the sum of tasks that make up your time between waking and sleeping… It’s interesting to think about life without thinking about time. For me, thinking about life without time evokes a myriad of colors, shapes, smells, tastes, feelings, an ever changing kaleidoscope of experiences. What is life to you, today?
I doubt that any two people see it exactly the same way. Similarly, the geometric patterns within a kaleidoscope will never be exactly repeated. Nothing ever stays exactly the same, and each shift can reveal a different beauty.
In 1816, during his studies on the polarization and refraction of light, Scottish inventor, David Brewster, wound up inventing what he called, the kaleidoscope. As you probably already know, the word kaleidoscope is made up of three Greek terms, kalos - beauty, eidos - form, and scopos - observer. When you are observing beautiful things, I guess you are kaleidoscoping?
Kaleidoscopes are used in geometry, they’re used in medical centers as a way to reduce patient stress, they are used by artists of all kinds for inspiration, and by little (and big) kids to play with…
When is the last time you played with a kaleidoscope? (Usually, but not always, made from an elongated prism of reflective material within a handheld tube containing colorful bits of glass or sequins at one end and a hole for viewing at the other. With every turn of the tube, the prism reflects a completely different geometric conglomeration of the colorful bits… the slightest shift of the tube reveals a unique, and often fleeting, beauty).
Here, in Tim’s Amazing Kaleidoscopes, Tim demonstrates 10 Kaleidoscopes from his (much larger) collection, ranging from the 1970s through 2006. It's amazing how many different types of kaleidoscopes there are!
If you don’t already have a kaleidoscope sitting on your bookshelf or coffee table, maybe you would like to make one of your very own? Here’s a short, fun, video to get you started.
I used the KaleidoLens app on my iPhone to snap this photo of a tomato plant. (If you’re interested in such apps, Android has a version called, Kaleidoscope Camera, which I have not tried, both free apps).
Though a photo of a kaleidoscope is pretty, it is awfully static. For me, it’s missing the motion of what’s next? The colorful shapes that change with the bump of a heart’s beat, the rise and fall of breath, chaos to order and back again…
It’s true that life is not always-easy for anyone. No matter how smooth things seem to be going, there is always some texture, slick or rough, shards can be sharp, there’s gravity and an ever-shifting struggle for balance, and there are always choices to make.
This photo is dear to me. During an unusually stressful week, (you know the kind without a light at the end of the tunnel…), Frank decided to take some time to create. Quickly, out of dirty old scrap wood, and with just a few simple tools, this heron celebrates the hands that crafted it; (it is lovely, thank you, Frank)! But also, this dear bird symbolizes some of my kaleidoscoping… no matter what the view, we have the power to choose our focus.
Thank you for being here to read Tracks by the Post! Your care and encouraging thoughts are like giant hugs! Please write to us and give us your thoughts on kaleidoscopes, how you see life… whatever it is that you’d like to share … it is always good to hear from you!
Wishing you a happy, peaceful week ahead.
Gently Be,
Leslie (and Frank)