Finding Beauty in Ordinary Things.
The more I've become involved in my hobby of photography, the more I enjoy finding beauty in ordinary things. They say, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and that is so true. But what we are inclined to overlook is the fact that we don't always pause long enough to find those, 'not so hidden' gems that are right in front of us.
Our lives are busy. We are easily distracted. Our priorities are not always healthy. And we have been programmed into thinking that it is more pleasing to give our attention to the things that are deemed, 'beautiful.'
I'm guilty of doing just that! Especially when I have my camera in hand. I'll often by-pass something that I feel won't be appreciated by others. And perhaps the perfection I'm always seeking when looking for appealing subjects to photograph, interferes with me capturing some very interesting and thought provoking images.
I am still trying to perfect the art of 'people watching' without looking too obvious when out and about with my camera but....... the camera is a dead give away. So, I satisfy myself with getting shots from side on or from behind, as I did with this young window shopper.
We were at a market and she had spotted a pile of dolls available for sale at a stall. Her mother was way ahead with a restless toddler in a pram and I could tell by this little girls body language that she was longing to go inside and pick up one of the dolls.
She stopped almost to a standstill but eventually, loyalty and obedience to her mother won out and she reluctantly shortened the distance between them and probably dreamed of going back another day to see if the doll she was wanting would still be there.
The interesting thing is this. None of those dolls were new. And none of them were expensive. She saw beauty in the ordinary and her young heart beat faster in her desire to own a raggedy, old doll. Her mother could probably have afforded to buy her daughter one of those second hand dolls and no doubt, she would have enjoyed watching the pleasure it gave her little girl when she held it in her arms. But she was busy. She was also distracted. And if the truth be known, she may not have seen much value in those second hand dolls.
Nature offers us a wealth of hidden gems. But if we see them often, or there are more sensational sights around, the every day things loose their value and we don't give them a second glance. Here are a few examples.
The appearance of new spring leaves in spring.
The rich, varnished finish on a wooden, garden seat.
Succulents draped over a old tree stump.
Peeling bark from an aged pine tree.
Random grasses at the edge of a rock pool.
Carved stone work on an arched bridge.
I think you get the picture. But I have only shown you the ordinary in nature. What about the ordinary in people? Our neighbours, our school mates, our work colleagues? Those we cross paths with at the supermarket, at the post office or at the bus station?
How many of us have fallen into the habit of overlooking the 'ordinary' in the ranks of our fellow man? Do our eyes first seek out the attractive, the well presented and the self confident individuals?
How my heart breaks when I see the pressure the younger generation are under to be 'beautiful' and how many of them believe that they will never be accepted amongst their peers (or indeed parents, in some instances) unless they reach a certain level of 'beauty or attempt to hide their plain appearance at very turn?'
Do pre-schoolers all of a sudden decide they are not beautiful all on their own? No. It comes from older generations; from parents who remain insecure from their childhood because they are still trying to conform to that ever elusive state of beauty themselves. They then attempt to ingratiate their insecurities upon their children by giving too much credit to the outward appearances rather than the true beauty that resides within all of us.
I googled the word 'Beauty' and this is wikapedia's explanation:
"Beauty is a property or characteristic of an animal, idea, object, person or place that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, culture, social psychology, philosophy and sociology. An "ideal beauty" is an entity which is admired, or possesses features widely attributed to beauty in a particular culture, for perfection.Ugliness is considered to be the opposite of beauty.
The experience of "beauty" often involves an interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being. Because this can be a subjective experience, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, given the empirical observations of things that are considered beautiful often aligning with the aforementioned nature and health thereof, beauty has been stated to have levels of objectivity as well.
There is also evidence that perceptions of beauty are determined by natural selection; that things, aspects of people and landscapes considered beautiful are typically found in situations likely to give enhanced survival of the perceiving human's genes."*
It reiterates what I said earlier; that "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder." And the key here is;
the 'perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction*
How shallow have we become if we have chosen friends and/or acquaintances on the level of pleasure and satisfaction they give us, due to their appearance or what they can offer us in order to value their company?
For those of us who have been given the joy and responsibility of raising children or influencing grandchildren, the onus is on us to value the inner beauty and strength of individuals and to stop placing value on what is only skin deep.
"All that glitters is not gold."
THANK YOU FOR VIEWING. HAVE A GREAT DAY.