I know, an empty glass of water, and what of it ?. It is nothing really. It is a clear liquid. It has no expression. It is still. I do not love drinking water, in fact I seldom do. I ignore that 8 liters of it per day routine. What fresh hell is this?, comes to mind. I mean, there is water in coffee for heavens sake.
However, am looking at this glass of water and it is the same stuff that comprises the sea, adding the salt. And what of it ? I ask for the second time. I love the sea and looking at the ocean. The rhythmic waves beating on the shore. The ever changing moods of the sky and sea from dawn to dusk. The color of the water mirroring the sky, and the sun's' light glinting on the surface.
The sea has inspired poets, artists, and writers of song and verse. My fascination with mermaids as child inspired many walks along the beach on Sussex hoping to glimpse one. It is the source of life.
What I love about the sea is that it is nothing but clear water, and yet it is everything. Before it one feels the presence of God, Nature, we feel our mortality, we know our real place in the scheme of life and that is very small indeed. It is humbling to stare into its majesty. It reduces our petty vanities, squabbles big and small to nothing. It brings peace.(The painting is by Kasper Carl Friedrich, 'A Monk by the Sea').
I think we project our selves onto this clear surface devoid of any identity whatsoever. We give it personalities it does not have intrinsically. We find our self's reflected back at us. It is both serene and beautiful and fiercely destructive. It is like us. In my blog 'A Noticeable Nobody', I was talking about letting go of the story of self and finding ones actual self. That in nothing there is a something, if one loses the fear of letting go of fairy tales. The sea is a very visible nothing. It both a clear colorless liquid, ever changing and yet it is full of history, life and beauty. It is a paradox. It is human in that sense.
When I look at the sea all things seem to make sense. I feel an unspoken rhythm in life. I see my self, a projection. I see the silent beauty of life, and that I am only Natures guest.
Peace
Once again, you paint a picture with your blog, and your words are able to go to places where a simple photographer or even a painting would not be able to take the reader. Amazing stuff. (It probably helps that I, too, love the ocean for its beauty, its life, and its power.) As always, thanks for sharing.
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