Quite a volatile time - politically, environmentally, technologically, and socially. It is quite draining to try and absorb it all, hence the importance (for me) of appreciating the beauty around me and helping with local needs for respite. Obviously I am very privileged to have the option to do so, unlike those in war zones, in immigration detention centers, those suffering poverty and hunger, or simply living in places where life isn’t so “easy”. It leads me to ponder the adage “ignorance is bliss”; perhaps explains the happiness of ca 49.8% of the people who voted for president in this country.
Thank you for these wise words. I try to count my blessings, but they are more than I can count. Being born in a near-perfect country and family, healthy and happy, I could go on for a long time. Many privileged people don't realize their luck and look up to the ever smaller collum above them of even richer or more powerful people, which makes them unhappy. My thoughts today were with a faraway friend who hasn't had the privilege, nor ever got the money, but is always happy and never complaining, and thus inspiring others to do good.
Yes, certainly a barage of destabilizing scenarios around the world currently. As you say, it makes one wonder if some unanticiplated, impactful event will transpire, which later will be seen as perfectly predictable. Your photos are a lovely contrast to these conjectures and ruminations... Thanks for sharing the peace and beauty you record so wel..l #Onward 🙏💚
Thank you, Jo. One could argue that climate change itself is a black swan: well predicted and shocking once confronted with its devastating impacts. It used to be a core aspect of my work. But increasingly, the compounded risks of all that goes wrong worry me so much: it's too much and too fast. And nobody seems to be in control or can foresee the consequences. Syria was the perfect example; I read a lot but don't recall anyone predicting that Ukraine/Gaza would lead to the end of the regime in Syria. What else might happen next? This feels like the summer of 1914 all over again.
Yes it does! Your writing is always informative and teaches me something. As for your photos, they provide beauty to look at after ready a “heavy” post (by that I mean “depressing”. Not that it’s not well-written as usual.)
I want the Syrian people to see, I want the Syrian people to hear "The Chimes of Freedom Flashing". Even for an hour, a week or a lifetime. The world is a tinderbox, and freedom hangs in the balance, but these beautiful people deserve to breathe and to keep breathing.
Tonight, as I walked in a desert enveloped in gold, I thought: All the gold in the world could not buy their freedom. It took an act of change. An act of courage, if you will. We will never know the monstrosities of the Syrian people. We have always known Democracy.
When those prison doors were opened, we celebrated their freedom because we know. We know the bells are "tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake, tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an forsaked; tolling for the outcast burnin constantly at stake; an we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing." Long may they ring.
When I lived in Stockholm, I had a friend who had survived three years in Syria's prisons; I have been waiting for these events to happen in many dreams since and I had tears in my eyes when I saw the videos of people being liberated from their cells.
It’s great 😊 Often, events of life give us this wonderful opportunity to get closer to people who are in our memory or our heart, but with whom we have not communicated for a long time 🙏
The world is in upheaval.
The instability is extremely frightening.
On the surface it seems very good news for the people of Syria but the future there is concerning with the Taliban connection.
Nevertheless, with the monster Assad gone, there’s hope.
It seems hope is our only solace now. We can’t let it go.
yes, hope seems to be the theme of our time.
Deterioration -> accelerated change -> chaos -> ?
Going to look at beautiful images which make me smile 😊
Thank you, enjoy. The contrast between the global developments and my photos seems to increase daily.
Quite a volatile time - politically, environmentally, technologically, and socially. It is quite draining to try and absorb it all, hence the importance (for me) of appreciating the beauty around me and helping with local needs for respite. Obviously I am very privileged to have the option to do so, unlike those in war zones, in immigration detention centers, those suffering poverty and hunger, or simply living in places where life isn’t so “easy”. It leads me to ponder the adage “ignorance is bliss”; perhaps explains the happiness of ca 49.8% of the people who voted for president in this country.
Thank you for these wise words. I try to count my blessings, but they are more than I can count. Being born in a near-perfect country and family, healthy and happy, I could go on for a long time. Many privileged people don't realize their luck and look up to the ever smaller collum above them of even richer or more powerful people, which makes them unhappy. My thoughts today were with a faraway friend who hasn't had the privilege, nor ever got the money, but is always happy and never complaining, and thus inspiring others to do good.
Yes, certainly a barage of destabilizing scenarios around the world currently. As you say, it makes one wonder if some unanticiplated, impactful event will transpire, which later will be seen as perfectly predictable. Your photos are a lovely contrast to these conjectures and ruminations... Thanks for sharing the peace and beauty you record so wel..l #Onward 🙏💚
Thank you, Jo. One could argue that climate change itself is a black swan: well predicted and shocking once confronted with its devastating impacts. It used to be a core aspect of my work. But increasingly, the compounded risks of all that goes wrong worry me so much: it's too much and too fast. And nobody seems to be in control or can foresee the consequences. Syria was the perfect example; I read a lot but don't recall anyone predicting that Ukraine/Gaza would lead to the end of the regime in Syria. What else might happen next? This feels like the summer of 1914 all over again.
In the middle of your post I HAD to scroll to your celebrations of nature😁
it says something about my writing and my photos :-)
Yes it does! Your writing is always informative and teaches me something. As for your photos, they provide beauty to look at after ready a “heavy” post (by that I mean “depressing”. Not that it’s not well-written as usual.)
this is one of your best columns ever
Thank you Amanda!
I want the Syrian people to see, I want the Syrian people to hear "The Chimes of Freedom Flashing". Even for an hour, a week or a lifetime. The world is a tinderbox, and freedom hangs in the balance, but these beautiful people deserve to breathe and to keep breathing.
Tonight, as I walked in a desert enveloped in gold, I thought: All the gold in the world could not buy their freedom. It took an act of change. An act of courage, if you will. We will never know the monstrosities of the Syrian people. We have always known Democracy.
When those prison doors were opened, we celebrated their freedom because we know. We know the bells are "tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake, tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an forsaked; tolling for the outcast burnin constantly at stake; an we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing." Long may they ring.
Wonderful article, Alex.
This is so beautiful. Thank you, Sharon.
Your photos are so soothing!
How beautiful Nature is 🌟🎶
And little Luna who plays hunting .. cats have a really overflowing imagination to invent games! It’s so cute et fascinating to observe 😍🐈⬛
A very interesting article!
Thank you Alex 👏
The news of the World and its changes have perhaps never been so fast, radical and with so many interactions, more complex than ever!
A context that is not easy to expose in a few lines!! 👌
Let’s hope that in Syria, where the population has suffered since so many years, the ex-dictatorship isn’t replaced by a new one 🙏
When I lived in Stockholm, I had a friend who had survived three years in Syria's prisons; I have been waiting for these events to happen in many dreams since and I had tears in my eyes when I saw the videos of people being liberated from their cells.
I think we all had tears in our eyes!
It’s so powerful, these images of people who regain freedom!
We also regain awareness of how lucky we are, even if we know it deep down...
A mix of feelings so moving!
I just wrote to him, we haven't seen each other since I moved to Canada four years ago.
It’s great 😊 Often, events of life give us this wonderful opportunity to get closer to people who are in our memory or our heart, but with whom we have not communicated for a long time 🙏