First Day

Happy New Year's Day! The first day of this new turning year began in light snow, freezing rain and ice. It also began with another grand flop by my ISP, and said flop (no doubt) was caused by all the lovely slick ice, wind and clinging snow in the village.

If the axiom holds true that one may divine the shape and texture of a newborn year by the happenings of its first day, then 2007 is going to be a wild and flickering experience and rather bumpy at times, at least technologically speaking. The leitmotifs which are already emerging hint at an intriguing but rather cacophanous orchestration, one which is up and down and all over the place. Can we dance to this new music, I wonder, to this choreography which is not written down anywhere and changes even as we watch it dance on by? So far, the notes of the score seem to be composed entirely of flailing communications cables, sunlight, wind and falling icicles.

There are no great resolutions being engendered here today, but I would like to be a little kinder and more mindful this year - I would like to be less crotchety and more patient, to laugh a little more and have a greater appreciation of the ironies of mundane living. I would like to be part of the solution and not part of the problem, to make a difference and contribute something more to the healing of the Old Wild Mother and this dear little blue planet which is my birthplace and my home.

Apart from the aforementioned, I suppose I shall just continue pottering along the way with camera in hand, searching for small wonders "out there" and trying to remember those fine words from the Dhammapada. It is good to be here, and to be here among friends, kindred spirits and my sister mermaids.