Ramblings...

You ever read someone's blog who posts the entire lyrics to some pansy white boy rock song with the title 'This is what I'm feeling right now?" Sometimes I feel like being lazy doing that myself.

Seriously and I hate myself for even thinking that.

After a decent workout on Friday I came home and ate dinner and found myself extremely bored. I put on a coat and decided to take a short walk. It was a beautiful late afternoon in Seattle. The sky was clear and the leaves are turning colors. Yes autumn is my favorite season. I strolled down a nearby park under the brightly colored trees enjoying natures slow descent into rebirth.

I walked down the tunnel leading to I-90. I looked at the murals displayed on the walls, mostly kid stuff, but there was a tribute to the first general worker strike. Cyclists rode past me huffing and puffing as they were commuting from work. I wonder if they ever noticed the time and effort put into making this tunnel appealing or even if they cared.

I finally made it out of the tunnel and sat beneath the trees. I soaked in the view of Lake Washington with Bellevue and the Cascade mountains in the distance.

"Hey," a girl in her early twenties holding a digital SLR said trying to get my attention. "Can I take your picture?"

"Uhh," I slurred. "Sure...why not?"

She snapped a few photos of me as I looked out into the horizon. She was obviously new to the idea of photography, but I could tell she had some talent. I remember being like that once and it seems eons ago.

I told her I used to be a photographer and she picked my brain about equipment and composition. We looked over the shots she took on the camera and I gave her some pointers about angles and why she should get a reflector. She then took some more shots and each one got better.

She said something to me that I haven't forgotten. As I was helping her do a scenic shot she looked at me and stated how lucky we are to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I couldn't argue. I watched the cars fight each other for lane domination on the freeway and thought to myself how ungrateful I can be traversing my commute every day, cursing the vehicle in front of me for simply existing, and not taking in the great scenery this area has to offer.

After a while spent mentoring the girl she thanked me for being her model and said goodbye. I kind of wish I would've given her my email address and got some of those photos for myself, but then again maybe the art of her learning the process was best left with her.

"Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic." - Dan Rather