Cameras make me happy. Humans make my head hurt.
I love this slogan that keeps appearing in online T-shirt ads. I love it because it says exactly how I feel. I love nothing more than taking my cameras and exploring new places. I love the challenge of creatively capturing a scene, whether a landscape or a wild animal. And it's amazing how looking at a photograph I took years ago brings back memories, not just of where the image was taken, but of exactly where.
I hate what much of humanity has become, and it does much more than make my head hurt. It upsets my stomach, and it hurts my soul. Our species has become greedy, cruel, hateful, self-centered, self-righteous and hostile. We have lost our humanity, our concern for others, and our compassion. Too many of us blindly follow political leaders despite their proven and multiple lies. Too many of us no longer believe in science, in modern medicine and in the mass media.
If this sounds like a very pessimistic and negative view of our world, that's because it is. I also believe it is a very realistic picture of the world in 2019. It saddens me to see what the world in which I have lived has become.
But back to my cameras. I have four digital cameras: two DSLRs, one point-and-shoot, and one bridge camera. Sometimes it isn't practical or feasible to carry both DSLRs and lenses with me. When I'm hiking, for example, the bridge camera serves me well. So I also like this expression on a T-shirt: "Yes, I really do need all these cameras."
I also have an assortment of lenses, plus all the accessories (spare batteries and memory cards, filters, lens cleaning kits, etc.). This gear can be pretty heavy to carry in a backpack through big airports, so I ordered a camera bag with wheels that should hold all my gear. It also has straps so it can be used as a backpack, but I will most likely use it as a wheeled bag.
I don't chase the latest and greatest camera bodies and lenses. I have what I need, and I am happy with what I have. I must confess, however, that if I could easily handle a 500mm or 600mm lens, I would buy one. But my 100-400mm lens is about all I can easily hold for long periods of time, especially after breaking my wrist 3 years ago.
I still have a lot to learn about photography, but I am learning and improving all the time. Right now I'm working on learning more about Lightroom CC and how to edit RAW images. I'm now shooting in both RAW and JPEG, but eventually I'll shoot only in RAW.
You can see some of my best images at www.annsullivan.zenfolio.com
Friday, March 29, 2019
Saturday, March 23, 2019
The Sad State of Our World
Here are a few recent news items that highlight the sad state of our world:
Ignorance, whether willful or not, seems to be growing. Consider the number of people who don't believe in science, who don't believe that climate change is real and that it poses a serious threat to our very existence, who don't believe in the ability of vaccinations to prevent deadly diseases. Consider the inability of so many people to engage in critical thinking, to consider both sides of an issue, to base decisions on facts and not on emotions or on what some supposed 'leader' tells them. When was the last time you heard a rational discussion of a contentious issue that didn't end in name calling and insults?
It seems that the world of 21st century America has been dumbed down in a big way. Rather than engaging in intellectual pursuits, too many people spend their free time playing video games, watching YouTube or doing other mindless things. Does anybody read any more? I am, and always have been, an avid reader. But too many Americans never pick up a book. We long ago lost of sense of community, and our morals have been in decline as well. Now it seems that society is all about 'what's in it for me,' everybody else be damned.
I'm not at all optimistic about the future of the United States. We are so divided, both politically and economically, and the us vs them mentality is so strong, that it's going to take a significant change to turn things around. Look at the great cultures of the past -- Rome, Greece, Egypt -- and now, it seems, Western Civilization.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope we come to our senses before it's too late to make the changes that need to be made.
- A mother with a YouTube show (now removed) is accused of using pepper spray, ice baths and other forms of abuse on her seven adopted children if they failed to say their lines correctly as the show was being filmed.
- The Republican (of course) governor of Kentucky exposed all nine of his children to chicken pox, which they contracted, rather than having them vaccinated against the disease.
- Hundreds of hotel guests were secretly filmed and live-streamed online to a paying audience in South Korea.
- A dead whale was found with 90 pounds of plastic in its stomach.
- The president of the United States has complained that nobody thanked him for allowing a funeral for the late Sen. John McCain in the National Cathedral (or his lying in state in the US Capitol) -- something over which he in fact had no control.
- The president, a huge supporter of the coal industry, has attacked solar and wind energy.
- Fifty wealthy Americans, including television celebrities and others prominent in law, finance and business, have been arrested and charged with bribing coaches and admissions officials at elite colleges and universities to ensure their children were admitted.
- In Massachusetts, 59 grave sites in a Jewish cemetery were vandalized with Nazi symbols and hate language.
- Nearly 19 million Americans identify with Nazis, according to one source. Another source puts the figure at some 22 million people.
- Scientists warn that the Earth is in the midst of a sixth mass extinction of plants and animals, something that can have grave consequences for the planet and human life.
- A gunman in New Zealand shot and killed 50 Muslim worshipers in two mosques.
- The US reports that life expectancy in the country has declined for the first time in more than 100 years.
- Endangered wildlife such as rhinoceros, elephants, lions, giraffes and other species continue to die to satisfy the lusts of trophy hunters and Asians who believe that many animal species somehow have 'magic powers.'
- Family-owned farms in America are falling by the wayside due to low prices offered for their products and the inability to compete against corporate-owned megafarms.
Ignorance, whether willful or not, seems to be growing. Consider the number of people who don't believe in science, who don't believe that climate change is real and that it poses a serious threat to our very existence, who don't believe in the ability of vaccinations to prevent deadly diseases. Consider the inability of so many people to engage in critical thinking, to consider both sides of an issue, to base decisions on facts and not on emotions or on what some supposed 'leader' tells them. When was the last time you heard a rational discussion of a contentious issue that didn't end in name calling and insults?
It seems that the world of 21st century America has been dumbed down in a big way. Rather than engaging in intellectual pursuits, too many people spend their free time playing video games, watching YouTube or doing other mindless things. Does anybody read any more? I am, and always have been, an avid reader. But too many Americans never pick up a book. We long ago lost of sense of community, and our morals have been in decline as well. Now it seems that society is all about 'what's in it for me,' everybody else be damned.
I'm not at all optimistic about the future of the United States. We are so divided, both politically and economically, and the us vs them mentality is so strong, that it's going to take a significant change to turn things around. Look at the great cultures of the past -- Rome, Greece, Egypt -- and now, it seems, Western Civilization.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope we come to our senses before it's too late to make the changes that need to be made.
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Simple Things
As I write this, I am listening to a CD of African music I bought a year ago while on a photo safari in Tanzania.
I know nothing about African music, other than I really like it. The music on this CD sounds more contemporary than much of the African music I have enjoyed. I haven't listened to this CD for several months, but hearing it again brought to mind some of the CDs I have bought while traveling in other countries. I have purchased music directly from musicians in Croatia (a wonderful a capella group singing in Croatian), Cuba (local musicians singing in Spanish) and Russia (a group of Russian Orthodox monks singing in Old Church Slavonic).
Buying music CDs from the artists themselves does two things: It directly benefits the performers, and it allows me to bring home a reminder of my trips abroad. It doesn't matter whether I can understand the words or not. I enjoy the music and the memories it brings back. My photographs do the same thing, but music has a different dimension and uses a completely different sense. And the catchy tunes often get replayed in my brain even when I'm not listening to the music.
I know, many consider CDs to be old school, but they're still the best way for me to support local artists in other countries and listen to their beautiful voices once I get home. During times of stress (dealing with a damaged car, car repairs, etc., on top of the normal stresses of the day as I watch my country being destroyed by an incompetent, spiteful president who spends his time attacking a man who died seven months ago), listening to music is a great way to temporarily forget and enjoy the memories of a memorable trip to Tanzania.
I know nothing about African music, other than I really like it. The music on this CD sounds more contemporary than much of the African music I have enjoyed. I haven't listened to this CD for several months, but hearing it again brought to mind some of the CDs I have bought while traveling in other countries. I have purchased music directly from musicians in Croatia (a wonderful a capella group singing in Croatian), Cuba (local musicians singing in Spanish) and Russia (a group of Russian Orthodox monks singing in Old Church Slavonic).
Buying music CDs from the artists themselves does two things: It directly benefits the performers, and it allows me to bring home a reminder of my trips abroad. It doesn't matter whether I can understand the words or not. I enjoy the music and the memories it brings back. My photographs do the same thing, but music has a different dimension and uses a completely different sense. And the catchy tunes often get replayed in my brain even when I'm not listening to the music.
I know, many consider CDs to be old school, but they're still the best way for me to support local artists in other countries and listen to their beautiful voices once I get home. During times of stress (dealing with a damaged car, car repairs, etc., on top of the normal stresses of the day as I watch my country being destroyed by an incompetent, spiteful president who spends his time attacking a man who died seven months ago), listening to music is a great way to temporarily forget and enjoy the memories of a memorable trip to Tanzania.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Will We Wake Up Before It's Too Late?
Sudan, the last male northern white rhinoceros, died one year ago today.
What happened to bring this iconic species to the brink of extinction? In a word --- poaching. Northern white rhinos, like so many African species, once were abundant throughout Uganda, Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). But by 1995 only about 30 Northern white rhino remained in DRC’s Garamba National Park. Today only two females survive, making this subspecies functionally extinct.
If humans are to have any hope of saving this species from extinction, it will be through development of a very complex and expensive in vitro fertilization of a surrogate Southern white rhino female using eggs from the two remaining females and stored Northern white rhino semen. The very endangered black, Sumatran and Javan rhinos are under ever-increasing pressure from habitat loss and/or poaching.
There could have been as many as 800 Sumatran rhinos remaining in the wild in 1986. Now, just 32 years later, official estimates suggest there are fewer than 80 rhinos, but many experts believe even that figure is overly optimistic, with some stating there could be as few as 30 animals surviving. (Source: Save the Rhino organization).
Sadly, the threat of extincting facing rhinos isn't an isolated case. Elephants, giraffes, gorillas, orangutans, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, lions, jaguars, rays, sharks, marine turtles, pangolins, whales, narwhals, hippopotamus and monk seals also are at risk of extinction.
Poaching of animals to feed the insatiable demands of China, Vietnam and other Asian countries for the body parts of elephants, lions, tigers, rhinoceros to make ivory trinkets, 'magic potions' and 'magic wines' that purportedly cure cancer and increase virility continues unabated. The dumb thing is that rhino horn and pangolin scales are made of keratin -- the same substance of which our hair and fingernails are made. There is nothing curative or magical about keratin, or about lion and tiger bones.
Indeed, some scientists have warned that the earth is well on its way toward a sixth mass extinction. Even bees -- so crucial to food supplies upon which we humans depend -- are facing serious problems. Our oceans are filled with tons of plastic pollution. The current American administration is rolling back a variety of longstanding environmental protections designed to keep our air and water clean and safe. The Endangered Species Act is being weakened and protections removed from wolves. Population growth in many parts of the world, especially in Africa, combined with loss of habitat, put additional pressure on wildlife.
I don't want to live in a world without wildlife, where the air is unfit to breathe and the water is polluted. I want to be able to continue to watch and photograph elephants, leopards, giraffes and other wildlife going about their business as they have for tens of thousands of years. I want to be able to hear wolves howling in Yellowstone, and to catch a glimpse of a magnificent grizzly sow with her cubs.
I'm glad I am old and won't be around to contemplate living in a world devoid of these animals that place such a key role in a healthy ecosystem. Experts say we have a scant 11 years to take serious action against climate change.
Will people wake up before it's too late? I'd like to think they will, but I'm not at all optimistic.
What happened to bring this iconic species to the brink of extinction? In a word --- poaching. Northern white rhinos, like so many African species, once were abundant throughout Uganda, Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). But by 1995 only about 30 Northern white rhino remained in DRC’s Garamba National Park. Today only two females survive, making this subspecies functionally extinct.
If humans are to have any hope of saving this species from extinction, it will be through development of a very complex and expensive in vitro fertilization of a surrogate Southern white rhino female using eggs from the two remaining females and stored Northern white rhino semen. The very endangered black, Sumatran and Javan rhinos are under ever-increasing pressure from habitat loss and/or poaching. There could have been as many as 800 Sumatran rhinos remaining in the wild in 1986. Now, just 32 years later, official estimates suggest there are fewer than 80 rhinos, but many experts believe even that figure is overly optimistic, with some stating there could be as few as 30 animals surviving. (Source: Save the Rhino organization).
Sadly, the threat of extincting facing rhinos isn't an isolated case. Elephants, giraffes, gorillas, orangutans, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, lions, jaguars, rays, sharks, marine turtles, pangolins, whales, narwhals, hippopotamus and monk seals also are at risk of extinction.
Poaching of animals to feed the insatiable demands of China, Vietnam and other Asian countries for the body parts of elephants, lions, tigers, rhinoceros to make ivory trinkets, 'magic potions' and 'magic wines' that purportedly cure cancer and increase virility continues unabated. The dumb thing is that rhino horn and pangolin scales are made of keratin -- the same substance of which our hair and fingernails are made. There is nothing curative or magical about keratin, or about lion and tiger bones.
Indeed, some scientists have warned that the earth is well on its way toward a sixth mass extinction. Even bees -- so crucial to food supplies upon which we humans depend -- are facing serious problems. Our oceans are filled with tons of plastic pollution. The current American administration is rolling back a variety of longstanding environmental protections designed to keep our air and water clean and safe. The Endangered Species Act is being weakened and protections removed from wolves. Population growth in many parts of the world, especially in Africa, combined with loss of habitat, put additional pressure on wildlife.
I don't want to live in a world without wildlife, where the air is unfit to breathe and the water is polluted. I want to be able to continue to watch and photograph elephants, leopards, giraffes and other wildlife going about their business as they have for tens of thousands of years. I want to be able to hear wolves howling in Yellowstone, and to catch a glimpse of a magnificent grizzly sow with her cubs.
I'm glad I am old and won't be around to contemplate living in a world devoid of these animals that place such a key role in a healthy ecosystem. Experts say we have a scant 11 years to take serious action against climate change.
Will people wake up before it's too late? I'd like to think they will, but I'm not at all optimistic.
Friday, March 15, 2019
A Dream Fulfilled
Sometimes, dreams do come true.
I recently returned from a trip to Egypt and the fulfillment of a dream I have had since I was in high school. I have always wanted to visit the pyramids of Egypt, see the Sphinx and visit the Valley of the Kings. My fascination with the ancient world began when I studied Latin (for 4 years) in high school. Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were subjects that really appealed to me. I haven't yet made it to Rome or Greece, but both places are on my list of places to visit. But when I saw that Road Scholar offered a trip called 'The Best of Egypt," I knew I had to go.
The first morning in Cairo, I opened the drapes in my hotel room and gazed out at two of the pyramids in Giza. What an exciting sight that was! My group spent that day walking around the three pyramids, and then going to see the Sphinx. Although the pyramids are no longer at a distance from the urban area, and the presence of incredibly persistent vendors hawking wares to tourists was annoying, just standing there gazing at structures that were built more than 4,500 years ago was awe-inspiring.
We walked around some of the earliest pyramids ever built, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. It was obvious from the appearance of the Bent Pyramid that the ancient Egyptians were still perfecting the design and construction of pyramids when the Bent Pyramid was built.
We were able to enter three tombs in the Valley of the Kings (or, more exactly, enter the burial chamber of three tombs.) The tombs of pharaohs were far underground and very expansive, so only the burial chambers are open to the public. Included on the tour was the burial chamber of the boy-king, Tutankhamun. The Valley of the Queens was a bust, as only one queen is known to have been buried there. The bombs of the other ancient queens have not yet been located. I paid 300 Egyptian pounds (just more than $17) at each site to be allowed to take photographs inside the tombs. For me, as a photographer, it was worth the cost.
We spent some time at the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, viewed the temples of Rameses II at Abu Simbel, and marveled at how they had been raised some 200 feet and moved inland 600 feet to save them from the waters of the artificial Lake Nasser. We ended the trip with a visit to the Egyptian Museum, where we saw ancient statues, as well as the gold mask and other items taken from the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Egypt cannot be called a beautiful country. It doesn't have much natural beauty. Some 75 percent of the land is desert, with nearly all the people living in the Nile valley, which provides the country's only source of fresh water. The Cairo area is home to 24 million people, which means a lot of traffic, poverty and trash.There was no beauty to be found there, aside from the lovely garden at one of our hotels.
Throughout the trip, I was saddened by a couple of facets of contemporary Egyptian society. One if the unimaginable amount of trash in the streets, in irrigation canals and just about
everywhere I looked. The other thing, which I unfortunately expected to see, were the large numbers of dogs and cats wandering the streets. I also noted the huge number of horse-drawn carriages offering rides to tourists and locals alike. That in itself isn't so bad, but these carriages were on extremely busy, noisy, crowded roads in cities such as Cairo. I also saw some donkeys being ridden by adults, who weigh too much for a donkey to safely and comfortably carry. These animals truly are beasts of burden, carrying everything from bundles of alfalfa to saddle bags filled with who knows what.
The Egyptian people really seemed to appreciate foreign visitors. As one of the speakers who addressed our group pointed out, since the 'Arab spring' revolution in 2011, Egypt's income from tourists has dropped from $14.4 billion/year to around $6 billion per year. The country is struggling economically. Long known for its quality cotton production, owners of most of the cotton processing factories fled the country in the aftermath of the 'revolution' of 2011 that saw the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak. We heard a local perspective on the Muslim Brotherhood and its 1-year reign in Egypt (it was not well thought of).
We stayed in some wonderful hotels. In addition to the one with views of the pyramids, we stayed in a hotel that used to be a palace and has beautiful gardens. We stayed in a resort on Elephantine Island, just a 2-minute boat ride across the Nile from Aswan. The final hotel, in downtown Cairo, was beautiful but too modern and urban for my taste.
I had some memorable experiences with locals:
This is one travel dream that I can check off my list. It was well worth the many hours of air travel it took to get to Cairo. I learned a lot about this ancient land that has fascinated me for several decades. And I encourage anyone interested in learning about ancient Egypt to give serious consideration to visiting. The country is as safe as is anyplace in the world. The people are friendly and eager to welcome visitors.
Where else can you stand in the presence of structures than are more than 4,500 years old, ride a camel and cruise down the Nile?
I recently returned from a trip to Egypt and the fulfillment of a dream I have had since I was in high school. I have always wanted to visit the pyramids of Egypt, see the Sphinx and visit the Valley of the Kings. My fascination with the ancient world began when I studied Latin (for 4 years) in high school. Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were subjects that really appealed to me. I haven't yet made it to Rome or Greece, but both places are on my list of places to visit. But when I saw that Road Scholar offered a trip called 'The Best of Egypt," I knew I had to go.
We walked around some of the earliest pyramids ever built, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. It was obvious from the appearance of the Bent Pyramid that the ancient Egyptians were still perfecting the design and construction of pyramids when the Bent Pyramid was built. We were able to enter three tombs in the Valley of the Kings (or, more exactly, enter the burial chamber of three tombs.) The tombs of pharaohs were far underground and very expansive, so only the burial chambers are open to the public. Included on the tour was the burial chamber of the boy-king, Tutankhamun. The Valley of the Queens was a bust, as only one queen is known to have been buried there. The bombs of the other ancient queens have not yet been located. I paid 300 Egyptian pounds (just more than $17) at each site to be allowed to take photographs inside the tombs. For me, as a photographer, it was worth the cost.
We spent some time at the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, viewed the temples of Rameses II at Abu Simbel, and marveled at how they had been raised some 200 feet and moved inland 600 feet to save them from the waters of the artificial Lake Nasser. We ended the trip with a visit to the Egyptian Museum, where we saw ancient statues, as well as the gold mask and other items taken from the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Egypt cannot be called a beautiful country. It doesn't have much natural beauty. Some 75 percent of the land is desert, with nearly all the people living in the Nile valley, which provides the country's only source of fresh water. The Cairo area is home to 24 million people, which means a lot of traffic, poverty and trash.There was no beauty to be found there, aside from the lovely garden at one of our hotels.
Throughout the trip, I was saddened by a couple of facets of contemporary Egyptian society. One if the unimaginable amount of trash in the streets, in irrigation canals and just about
The Egyptian people really seemed to appreciate foreign visitors. As one of the speakers who addressed our group pointed out, since the 'Arab spring' revolution in 2011, Egypt's income from tourists has dropped from $14.4 billion/year to around $6 billion per year. The country is struggling economically. Long known for its quality cotton production, owners of most of the cotton processing factories fled the country in the aftermath of the 'revolution' of 2011 that saw the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak. We heard a local perspective on the Muslim Brotherhood and its 1-year reign in Egypt (it was not well thought of).
We stayed in some wonderful hotels. In addition to the one with views of the pyramids, we stayed in a hotel that used to be a palace and has beautiful gardens. We stayed in a resort on Elephantine Island, just a 2-minute boat ride across the Nile from Aswan. The final hotel, in downtown Cairo, was beautiful but too modern and urban for my taste.
I had some memorable experiences with locals:
- On the short flight from Luxor to Aswan, I sat next to an Egyptian man who is a tour guide for French-speaking tourists. We chatted for several minutes, and he explained the design of the ring I had bought in Luxor. He recounted his visit to the US and said that when his 9-year-old twins learn English (this year they are learning German), he wants to take them to the US. He then asked about my Kindle, having never seen, or even heard, of an e-reader before.
- An experience of a totally different kind occurred in the Aswan airport. Airport security is burdensome at best, but on that day I felt totally violated. I went through the metal detector with no issues, and my backpack passed through the x-ray machine. I put my shoes on and picked up my bag, and was told to wait. A brusque woman who spoke almost no English then proceeded to removed everything from my backpack as I tried to explain to her what each item was (there was nothing dangerous or forbidden in the pack). The bag was then x-rayed again, leaving me to reassemble the items from the bin in which she had tossed them. People in my group reported that I looked ashen during the process. I have gone through airport security all over the world, and never have I felt so upset and violated.
- As I was sitting on a bench in Cairo, waiting for the rest of the group to shop in a large, crowded market, I was approached by two girls. One asked whether I speak English, and I replied that I do. She then asked if she could have her photo taken with me. I said that was fine. I should have asked to take a picture of Noor and her friend, but by the time I thought about it, they were gone.
- A shopkeeper in one of the shops at our hotel, when I told him I had no money with me, told me to take the leather passport cover I wanted to buy, and bring him the money when our group returned from the day's outing. I paid him before we left for the day.
- A shopkeeper in a shop at another hotel fixed me a cup of tea (I watched him open the bag that held the tea bag, and the pot to boil the water was in plain view in the shop). Then he started getting creepy, calling me 'my queen' and telling me how women who marry Egyptian men are very happy. This guy was probably 25 years younger than me. The next day I was looking for a coffee cup to buy. Unknown to me, he ran the shop that sells coffee cups as well. After I unsuccessfully negotiated the price with him, he asked me out for a drink. I declined.
This is one travel dream that I can check off my list. It was well worth the many hours of air travel it took to get to Cairo. I learned a lot about this ancient land that has fascinated me for several decades. And I encourage anyone interested in learning about ancient Egypt to give serious consideration to visiting. The country is as safe as is anyplace in the world. The people are friendly and eager to welcome visitors.
Where else can you stand in the presence of structures than are more than 4,500 years old, ride a camel and cruise down the Nile?
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Let's Appreciate What We Have
I needed this recent reminder from a Facebook friend: I smile because I appreciate what I have.
There is nothing I want that I don't have and can't get, aside from warmer weather. I detest cold weather, and I have been miserably cold for many weeks during this colder-than-normal winter.
But I have a beautiful house to help keep the cold out (although it is a house that is expensive and difficult to heat because of its five skylights and numerous windows). Those same skylights and windows let in a lot of light, which is important to my mental well-being. I also have warm clothes to help keep me somewhat warm.
I have a nice, reliable car. I have health insurance and physicians that I like and trust. I have a pantry and a freezer filled with food. I have three dogs to keep me company. I have received a good education, and my mind is still sharp. I am in good health, with no serious medical issues. I have enough money to allow me to travel several times every year.
There are many who struggle to survive, who have so much less than I have. I have seen this during my travels to other, often 'third world' countries. I have seen women working as bathroom attendants, handing out toilet paper in hopes of receiving a small tip. I have seen that people often live in ramshackle 'houses' or in buildings that are nothing more than shells. People often are reduced to begging for a few coins so they can feed themselves and their families.
These experiences do make me appreciate the things I have. Sometimes I just need to be reminded of the many blessings in my life.
There is nothing I want that I don't have and can't get, aside from warmer weather. I detest cold weather, and I have been miserably cold for many weeks during this colder-than-normal winter.
But I have a beautiful house to help keep the cold out (although it is a house that is expensive and difficult to heat because of its five skylights and numerous windows). Those same skylights and windows let in a lot of light, which is important to my mental well-being. I also have warm clothes to help keep me somewhat warm.
I have a nice, reliable car. I have health insurance and physicians that I like and trust. I have a pantry and a freezer filled with food. I have three dogs to keep me company. I have received a good education, and my mind is still sharp. I am in good health, with no serious medical issues. I have enough money to allow me to travel several times every year.
There are many who struggle to survive, who have so much less than I have. I have seen this during my travels to other, often 'third world' countries. I have seen women working as bathroom attendants, handing out toilet paper in hopes of receiving a small tip. I have seen that people often live in ramshackle 'houses' or in buildings that are nothing more than shells. People often are reduced to begging for a few coins so they can feed themselves and their families.
These experiences do make me appreciate the things I have. Sometimes I just need to be reminded of the many blessings in my life.
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