Stethoscopes

‘I believe every single thing in the universe is inextricably interconnected and mutually dependent.’

Sing it sister. I believe that too. And it is that belief that I think will save us. Because we do need to be saved. We are hurtling toward disaster. You don’t have to be a poet to see that, but poets are closer to the earth. They are stethoscopes. But we all are. 

If you are forced to consider your beliefs, your true beliefs, and if you have to stand by them, you will discover your life’s purpose. It is why I ask this question. What do you believe? It is why I include it as the core of each ODE. Because what you believe is who you are. It governs all of your actions. 

I get a sense of it when I spend time with you. In order to take your photograph I have to spend some time with you. We have to be real with each other. We have to become friends. But I don’t ask people what they believe. I glean it from our conversation. Later, I may ask you. I may ask you to give it serious thought and to put it down on paper, in your own words. That clarifies it for you. It gives you a sort of mission statement. It solidifies your being.

We listen to the heartbeat of the world with every action we take, or don’t take. It is this listening which defines our life’s trajectory. Sometimes we reflect what we hear in our work, in our art. For me photography and writing is an EKG.