Challenge Day 12: Ekphrasis

Today's WEGO HAWMC prompt taught me a new word: ekphrasis. It's a written commentary on a piece of art. I love the concept. The prompt suggests searching for a photograph online that inspires you and then free write about it for 15 minutes. Again, love the concept, but I actually wish I was assigned a photo. Choosing an inspiring image is not an easy task for me. Making decisions is probably one of my least favorite activities. And this is a hugely broad place from which to choose - a photo online! Among the millions of possibilities, there are tons of images that inspire me in various ways...how to choose?! And 15 minutes? I could easily do the stream of consciousness free write thing for 15 minutes, but that would be a long chunk of reading for my readers! So, I'm going to set the clock for 5 minutes. Back to choosing an image...[much time passes. procrastination ensues.] Okay, finally, here is one of many inspiring images I found:

photo by jurvetson, from flickr creative commons

Perspective is everything. I love macro photography like this that illuminates the details that we miss. There are entire complex worlds all around us that we don't even notice. Annoying dandelions spot the yard so we spray them with weed killer and move on. We never take the time to notice the delicacy, the intricacy, the beauty! Children see more than an annoyance - these small human who embody the joy of living, recognize the possibility for magic and fun by blowing on these delicate flowers. They take the time to watch the transformative effect of breath as the seeds scatter in every direction. Perspective can change everything. 

When I lost the ability to walk normally early in my diagnosis, it forced me to change my perspective. I'd never considered the awesome, intricate, complex act that walking is. I'd never felt gratitude for the transformative effect of thought on nerves and muscles and tendons and ligaments. As steroids and time took me from relapse to remittance, I experienced walking as I never had before. A new perspective changed everything and I for the first time appreciated the awesome, intricate, magic dance walking was. No longer an automatic, simple, basic unconscious act to take for granted. Perspective changes everything.

.....and time! Okay, I went about 25 seconds over. I even managed to relate it to MS. Win!