Tag: color photography

Some Thoughts on Gambling

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It’s Not Just Cards and Ponies

The news is bombarding us with numbers, percentages, and a variety of other statistics on an hourly basis these days. It feels as if we are gambling every time we leave of our homes, wondering if we are pushing our luck and hoping the odds are in our favor. I’m no stranger to card tables and race tracks, but current events have me thinking about odds and the ways we gamble that don’t involve casinos and OTBs.

Box Car Luck #2 (D70-editj24.43)
“Boxcar Luck”

I don’t know many gamblers but everybody I’ve ever known has gambled. I’ve known people who never passed up a card game, and I’ve known people who took a chance on love. Some of those people were gamblers and others were gambling (you pick which was which). I’ve weighed odds and placed many a wager, but does that make me  more of a gambler than the person who takes a chance on a relationship or a job? What does it take to be considered a gambler?

Statistics and percentages permeate the news of late. It’s enough to make us feel as if we are gambling with every decision we make. It’s also has me thinking about how gambling plays a part in our lives.

-K-

Spending Time

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and Thinking About What is Valuable

We find ourselves in strange times. I wasn’t thinking of social distancing and self quarantine when I began this month’s topic but now these ideas, and many others, occupy our time. I began the month with idea of how we mark and spend time. I guess I’ll end the month with a reflection on how I’m spending my time now.

A teacher in high school taught the class about the phrase ‘Carpe Diem’ (this was a long time before Dead Poets Society) and I took it to heart. For quite a while I tried to live each and every day to the fullest. Of course seizing each day and living it to the fullest doesn’t really address issues of rent and groceries, something I learned shortly after graduation. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t enjoy and get as much as we can out of each day but we must balance those desires with our responsibilities to self and others. My views regarding time have evolved over the years and they are evolving once again in light of current events.

Don't Park Here #3 (D70-edit)
“Out of Time”

I’ve marked the passage of time with cigarettes and beers. I’ve spent time planning and wasted time waiting. I’ve recorded time through journal entries and blog posts, and I’ll always remember the times of personal gains and losses. And now? Now is the time to be aware and to be careful. Now is the time to be healthy and to be safe. Now is the time to help others, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.

-K-

Authors on Time

Time Well Spent

• “Time is the longest distance between two points.” -Tennessee Williams-

• “Time takes it all, whether you want it to or not.” -Stephen King-

• “Punctuality is the thief of time.” -Oscar Wilde-

“Too Many Books…”

• “Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.” -Alice Walker-

• “Time moves in one direction, memory in another.” -William Gibson-

• “And meanwhile time goes about its immemorial work of making everyone look and feel like shit.” -Martin Amis-

-K-

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Some Thoughts on Time

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More than Numbers on a Clock

March has rolled around again. Some consider it foreshadowing for spring (there’s that old saying about lions and lambs). Others look forward to St. Patrick’s Day with all its green beer glory. March means another birthday for me. I’ve never put much thought into birthdays, but there have been a few happenings of late that have me thinking about the passage of time.

“Clock Face”

How do we mark the passage of time? Is it marked by the number of drinks and smokes we put down in one sitting (I’ve put in some time tonight)? Is it marked by how much effort we put into planning? Is it marked by how long we wait for just the right moment to occur before we act? Is it marked by journal entries and social media posts? Is time marked by what we gain in life or by what we lose (maybe both)?

I’ve got a birthday coming up, and recent events have me thinking about time. This month I’m going look into the idea of time and try to gain a little perspective on the topic. I’d like to hear what you think about time and how we mark its passing.

-K-

The End of Relationships

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and The End of a Relationship

That sounds redundant but there is a point here. Valentine’s Day was the impetus for this month’s topic. I hope you managed to get through, around, under, or over that special day. I’ve written about a variety of relationships this month and cited songs, books, and movies in the process. So I’ve decided to wrap up February with the end of a relationship.

“She Put Him Out”

Art may imitate life but seeing a relationship end (and end badly) in front of you is unlike any song or movie. Writers may capture the emotion of a moment but it is never as raw as real life. Last summer I was out for a stroll when I wandered into what can best be described as the end of a relationship. I won’t attempt to describe the emotions that were involved (there was a lot of screaming, crying, and threats). It was like a bad accident I couldn’t turn away from. I’ve been in some relationships that ended poorly but nothing like this. We can listen to songs, read books, and watch movies but real life is raw and unscripted. Sometimes the jolt of real life unfolding around us serves as a reminder of how fragile relationships can be.

So here we are on the last day of February about to wrap up the topic of relationships. I feel it is fitting to end the month with a relationship the ended poorly because it is important to remember that we need to put in the effort and time that is neccessary to make a relationship work. Songs, books, and movies provide comfort and advice but they can’t do the work for us.

-K-