159. on picking your nose
a sometimes irresistible urge
at times unconscious
we have been told a million times not to do it
yet, sooner or later, we all fall to temptation
just because the finger fits the hole, doesn’t mean you have to stick it in there
it’s hard to grow up
153. san francisco national cemetery
life
a metaphor of our own
as the fleeting butterfly beats its own wings
so does the heaving chest expand and contract
moving the same air
in and out
sending it forth
all the triumphs, all the failures
in, out
let them all be sources of wonder
every thought
every feeling
every moment
let it be
140. sunset in alamo square
sunrise, sunset
sun rises, yet again
a beautiful gift, one more day
one more time
one more chance
one more gift we receive to give love
to live life
what a blessing
what a miracle it is
that we get to live every single day
one more time
use this gift
make love, give love, be love
138. gandhi
whenever you think your task at hand is too overwhelming, remember gandhi
he did not stop at words, concepts or theories
turning thought into action
he set his intentions on peace, freedom, rights and equality for all
through the tools of satyagraha – holding on to the truth, and ahimsa – nonviolence
he moved the hearts and minds of countless beings, opening the world’s eyes to remind us of the oneness of everything
let us remember we are all one
as such, let us be only love
have only love to give and receive
in mahatma’s words, let us be the change that we want to see in the world
132. create
seek to consciously be with your creation
you are always creating
you are a creator, whether you intend to or not
consciously or subconsciously, you are creating your world around you
seek your art, discover it, work it, explore it, share it, give it to the world
do not let yourself be stopped by obstacles
distractions and diversions will always be there
pour your love into your creation
let your light shine and let it be a guiding force for you and everyone around you
130. park(ing) day 2010
last friday, communities all over the world gathered around to put people first, cars second
we took two parking spots, and made a public park for a day, with picnic benches, plants, balloons, laid back chairs, people and pizza
biking back home that day, i stumbled on this beautiful metaphor of a parking spot
a red sports car, covered in earth and grass, with a pig playing on top
imagine the possibilities
imagine the beauty that our cities could bring to our life
if instead of being surrounded by ominous machines, having our sidewalks embraced by grass, benches and art coming to our soul’s rescue.
to see our park(ing) spots, go here
127. off the deep end
there is a time for everything in this life
most times are for being balanced, safe and sound, warm dry land underneath your feet
yet every now and then comes a time for diving on to the cold water, into the unknown
if you have an open heart and mind, these are the times that help you grow
to be fearless and lovefull
taking the leap, steadfast in your love, in the present moment, at one with all
being truth, light and joy
these times, when anyone else would just but see darkness and cold, are the moments when you illuminate and thus bring light into this world
126. labor day
today is a day for fun, rest and relaxation.
for some people.
others, like don beto, are pushing their ice cream trucks up and down dolores park in hopes of a few dollar bills to send back to their family.
let us not just enjoy and be thankful for this beautiful day, but also remember those less fortunate who do not have the luxury to spend it in leisure, with friends and family.
as we go back to our daily jobs, let us work towards a day where poverty, hunger and ignorance are no longer part of anyone’s daily life.
let us love one another like we love our own.
let us share and care for one another.
let us remember that we are all one.
let your love shine and fill this world with brightness.
123. flora
a beautiful metaphor of life, the flower.
starts out as nothing, until the plant senses that conditions are perfect.
it then quickly unravels, an explosion of aroma, texture, color and shape.
twisting and curving, shining like the sun, a gift to this world.
the flower is a universe that mediates the union of male and female to reproduce.
and, like all life on this planet, it comes, it grows, it blooms, and it dies.
121. language
how do we communicate?
we attempt to use numbers and figures, words and symbols.
but only too often, these are the grounds for miscommunication, which leads to confusion, fear, hatred, violence.
how else can we understand one another?
the language of the heart is universal.
if we could all tune in to our hearts and learn to love each other as one, communication would be easy.
a compassionate smile can say and do more than all the words the mind has ever created.
118. hunger
a dog sticks its tongue out, its gaze fixed on a bird nearby.
its whole behavior is transfixed by the roar in its belly.
a fascinating force within us takes control.
the cells in our bodies orchestrate an unexplainable demand to live, to grow, to thrive, to consume.
like a fire inside, we are obliged to keep feeding it, so that they may keep on going.
this desire to live keeps the world turning, always moving, never stopping.
114. summer has landed in san francisco
it’s official: summer is over in the us.
which naturally only means one thing for san franciscans: summer fun has just begun.
the city knows our love for travel, she knows we will not be here most summer weekends.
so she patiently waits for our return.
when everywhere else starts losing warmth, she kicks in and turns up the heat.
the people flock to the open spaces.
parks, outdoor cafés and beaches become our stage.
the so-called indian summer reminds everyone that there is such a thing as a sunny san francisco.
those who laugh last, laugh best.
111. sunset in san francisco
the sun setting in san francisco is one rare, beautiful gift I get to see from my window.
the ever present clouds part for a little while sometimes, letting the splendorous sun warm us before it takes a dip in the pacific ocean.
the rolling hills, the houses, trees, dogs and their owners revel in the tiny bits of sunshine that surprise us every now and then.
107. a struggling relationship
the natural and the artificial.
that which is created naturally has always been the source of inspiration for that which has been crafted artificially by human beings since time immemorial.
our ingeniousness to fabricate machines to mimic the natural world and make our lives “easier” has grown out of control into a plethoric dependency we now can not do without.
our inevitable, unavoidable, addictive dependency on machines, and pillaging the earth to make, build and fuel these, has turned our relationship with the planet into a living paradox.
machines encompass everything from where we live, to the way we get around, from the way we communicate, to the comfort that we have come to expect.
it is an insatiable delusion for control that has caused us to ultimately ravage and destroy this planet, our home.
we now have almost complete control over our environment, time and space.
but at what cost?
we must reconsider our relationship with our planet and one another from one of dominion to one of communion.
106. being human
it is important to remind ourselves every now and then that we are human, and, as such, imperfect at best.
why do we have such a hard time accepting this fact?
why can we even encompass such a concept as perfection if that very thing does not even exist?
it is a delusional sickness, this pressure to be perfect.
to overachieve, over-work, over-stress, to over-excel in every endeavour directed at us is modern madness.
i propose a more balanced life.
this planet needs us to slow down.
we should begin to work less, relax more.
103. transitions
red pollen falls.
it fills the lines in the sidewalk, the cracks where it meets the sewer, its cover also topped with it.
the changing seasons affect everything in this life.
from the flowering of a tree to our mood. from the clothes we wear to the decisions we make.
at least its somewhat predictable and consistent, you can see it coming, you have time to prepare.
unexpected change, however, can kill you.
a single word can take a person’s life.
brace yourself to expect the unexpected.
learn to cherish change, whether you asked for it or not, because that is the only constant in life.
100. step by step
when you face a set of stairs head on, all you see is a massive wall.
but if you have the courage to approach it, you quickly notice it is something else entirely.
what you thought was an impenetrable wall is actually a series of small steps.
it is all a matter of perspective.
that is what life is.
99. bonsai
today i read that a tree museum is opening in switzerland.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/garden/03shows.html
what a beautiful idea.
i have always regarded trees as supreme works of art.
they do so much for us.
in that spirit, meet my bonsai.
the japanese word literally means tray cultivation.
it is an ancient practice that simply sets out to grow a tree on a tray.
it is an art that requires patience, like so many good things in this life.
that virtue is one that i find especially hard to master.
in a modern world of instant gratification, waiting and slowing down can become exceedingly rare treasures.
sitting in my room one day, a shaft of light illuminated the small tree.
97. st. mary
biking back from work one day, i found myself face to face with the cathedral of saint mary of the assumption.
visible from all over the city, i had seen its distinguished profile from afar and up close countless times before.
yet i had never been in it.
feeling very sick, tired, alone and disorientated, i felt drawn to it.
knowing that it’s always locked, i parked my bike and gave it a shot anyways.
to my surprise and delight, it was open.
a symphony of light and shadow on the sculptural forms played against brilliant displays of color bursting through the stained glass.
concrete soared in the air, creating a magnificent, undulating, gigantic cave.
the heavy silence and scale made me feel tiny and contemplative.
walking alone down the dark, empty wings, i looked out into the city.
96. union street festival
the sun came out in san francisco this weekend.
it bathed us all in warm, golden light.
masses flocked to union street to eat, drink and be merry.
countless grills had endless amounts of food on the fires.
people happily corralled themselves into astro turf chain link fence enclosures to drink beer.
94. sailing
a perfect san francisco saturday on the water.
the rapacious winds of the bay found a meal billowing in the sails of our boat.
fog rolled in and out and around us like a soft blanket, carving pockets of sunlight that we welcomed with arms outstretched.
everyone was thrilled, excitement and peace and joy coursing through our veins as the sea sprayed in our faces.
93. memorial day
billowing in the wind, the giant flag flaps in the high wind tunnels of lower market street.
but a flag is not what this day is about.
for most distracted americans, it means a long weekend.
yet for those even remotely affected or involved, it is difficult to not set aside at least a moment of reflection, respect and compassion for the people losing their lives in war, the most incomprehensible act of all.
knowing that we are all part of one human family, i still have hope for a global abolishment of militarism.
non-violence or peaceful action must take hold of us all, to create space for open-mindedness, compassion, comprehension and understanding.
92. red’s
bike to work day in san francisco, a few friends and i biked earlier than usual for a ride along the embarcadero and some breakfast.
red’s java house was our stopping point along the water.
the sun’s rays were just rising, casting a pattern on this chair of appropriate color as the day slowly opened its eyes on the west coast.
i dream of the day when what you will see in the heart of cities is just people sharing the road with bikes, trees, animals, trollies and trams.
http://www.sfbike.org/main/bicycles-account-for-75-of-morning-traffic-another-record-breaking-year/
90. found: obama in sf
obama visited san francisco today.
a block away from my place, his face was on the back of a milk carton pasted on a billboard, a street artist’s call to action.
despite what you may think of this man and his work as president, it is easy to forget that he inherited a crippled nation on the verge of collapse from a moron, a war criminal at best, the worst leader the u.s. has ever been subjected to.
to unravel eight years of pillage and plunder is an almost impossible task.
that he is even willing to try to lead a country paralyzed by debt, greed, fear, war, corruption, opposing worldviews and corporate interest is admirable.
he gives hope in a situation where there is little to none.
photothought 