As I'm Stumbling, Tumbling, Wondering...As I'm Traveling Through

So Dominick was off to his artistic brilliance and I was left to my own devices for the weekend. For reasons chronicled in the previous blog - shopping was not an option. As some of you know, I am a history buff; in school and on my own I've become somewhat of a medievalist. However, I am (still) admittedly lacking in knowledge about our own country's history. So a visit to Valley Forge was a MUST. I was disappointed that there are not many original artifacts left - the dwellings were destroyed and the soldiers took all of their belongings with them when they abandoned camp - but the replicas did a great job at bringing you back and illustrating the hardships of fighting for a new nation.

Regardless of your political leanings, the stories of soldiers long since gone resonate more with us today than perhaps ever before. "Nation building" has become the equivalent of a four letter word in 21st century American Foreign Policy, but standing on a hilltop overlooking Revolutionary parade grounds that are now caressed by long wisps of hay, I was overwhelmed with appreciation for the concept of building a nation out of a splintered and battered citizenry.

It was a very centering experience - something along the lines of the old cliche about having to know where you came from before you can determine where you are going - amber waves of grain and all....

I came upon General Washington's headquarters, a beautiful structure that captures the spirit of the times and the 25+ men that were housed here. I was reminded of my Byzantium professor's mantra: history is written by the winners. (I know - I love liberal higher ed!) But in visiting Valley Forge and other places like it, one is struck with how close we often were to teaching our children about the war hero General Cornwallis and the treasonous George Washington and his misfit army.

After my history lesson, I took in the sights and sounds of the naitonal park. I spotted a few deer, grabbed my camera and left my car on the side of the road. Before I knew it, I was 1/4 of the way into the field and surrounded by 15-20 grazing deer. I was shooting and walking, and then I got a message that I wasn't expecting - memory card full!

You can imagine the expletives that were caught in my throat, unable to express them for fear of scaring my new travel pals. But then, I thought that maybe this was an opportunity to experience this without the barrier of a lens. And I soaked up the remainder of our time together.

The beauty and charm of the day will stay with me for a long time. It provided the perfect opportunity to realign my priorities and remind myself to take time to breathe. Life is fast and wonderfully exciting, it is a roller coaster of emotion and adventure...but it also holds delicious pockets of peace and tranquility, if you invite them in.

And with a focus on the road ahead,

you can still appreciate the beauty of the experiences behind you.

But my "Come to Jesus" moment came when I was playing with the lenses on my camera and discovered that even my photographic focus lay in the background. All too often I concentrate on what lies ahead, just moments out of reach - the grandeur, majesty and mystery of what is not yet achieved or known...

So I shifted my perspective and realized that there are really two very different ways of viewing the world and living in it. Neither one correct, both interesting and complex and beautiful in different ways:

But for the time being, here's to living in the foreground...