I see it’s beginning to show some October Light, the photographer’s best light. The light is getting shorter, the mornings are darker, and the leaves are starting to decay and fall.
Autumn makes me sad. It was a holdover from returning to school, which I exceedingly hated. Here, fall brings a beautiful dusk. It rained for a while, and the sky was beginning to clear.
Autumn brings me the best light, and some flowers will fade. I have a plan.
Maris is off to belly dancing so that I will make dinner: fresh corn on the cob, sliced tomato, and Mozzarella cheese. Then I’ll watch an episode of “Homicide” and later check into the Democratic National Convention. I want to see Governor Tim Walz speak.
I must be honest; I’m enjoying my time on TikTok. I’m following the political explosion there on behalf of Kamala Harris; it is both creative and fascinating. I know how addictive it can be for the young and how serious that issue is. But the energy, humor, and creativity there are stunning, far from anything older people or conventional media do.
I don’t want to be someone who is demonizing it; I am never comfortable around mobs, but rather someone who is coming slowly to understand it.
I love being with Maria, but I also love being alone sometimes.
Jon, gotta confess that I am an avid TikTok fan. The endless scrolling happens, and before I know it, I’ve been scrolling for over an hour. However, the cleverness and creativity of some of the content creators is fascinating to me. I’ve been educated, stimulated and agitated in helpful ways. I have been able to see such a variety of political views and perspectives that I would never see in a newspaper or on the news. I’ve been inspired to think and act in new ways. Information is readily available, and not just from 1 or 2 sources; that’s the beauty of TikTok, at least for me. I do see the dark side of it, the addiction to the fast dopamine hits, a false sense of reality, creators who are selling their version of snake oil, and the ease with which young and/or naïve minds can be easily influenced by the shocking and shiny. My counselor reminded me at my appointment this week that the law of opposites resides in all things – that for every helpful and wonderful thing, there is a dark side to it, and I get to choose which side I feed and water.
October light…sigh…it is the very best for photos.
And, the DNC…sigh…so full of joy and hope.