Looking out

Sometimes you just have to stop and ask: Is what you are doing helping you to get closer and closer to who you are? Are you getting closer and closer to what is in your heart? Even in a city like Paris you could find yourself on auto pilot. Have you sensed by now that Paris is a metaphor for life? It is for me in any case. I am here a lot, almost 10% of the year and it takes an effort to not go on automatic pilot. Imagine walking home at night past Notre Dame and not even noticing! Imagine being so intent on capturing an image that you don't see the life going on all around you. If this can happen to me in Paris then think of how much it happens in Baltimore or New York or Chicago or wherever you live. So, for the hundredth time I am walking in the rain (so Paris right?) taking pictures on rue Mouffetard and around Place de la Contrescarpe when suddenly I see that I am not seeing, anything. It stops me and I begin to look for and see things I haven't noticed before and to take chances with the life around me. I see two men talking in front of a café. I know one of them owns the café in this image. I walk into the conversation and learn things about the history and life of this place I smugly thought I knew so well. It began to rain and I went into the café instead of sitting outside. I went as far back as I could and as I was reloading film in my camera I saw out into the Place de la Contrescarpe from a new place. Paris is a world of possibilities.