Q-105: A (New) Traditional Sunday Afternoon

You have a new Sunday Tradition, thanks of course to the Godmother. She is the starter of many great traditions. Every Sunday begins about the same... a slow wake up. First one out of bed feeds the cats, last one out scoops the litterboxes. This is debatable... sometimes one or the other of you does both-- it depends on the mood, and how long it takes the last person up to actually get... up.

Then you discuss the plans for the day-- or lack thereof. You always start out with a list of things to do, stores to shop in... but then-- you look outside, see the clear sky, the sunshine, feel the almost-but-not-quite warm breeze and say... screw it-- it's picture time!

You make your plans, and then get in the car to re-discuss said plans. And as is usually the case on a Sunday the Godmother pulls out of the driveway and says, "We can always stop at Walmart on the way home... what do you feel like photographing today?"

And you're off. A quick jaunt around the lake is enough to tell you that without ANY clouds-- the scenes all look pretty much the same. You grab the only truly interesting shot (or at least what turns out to be the only interesting shot not ruined by motion blur)

Realizing the lake is not the place to capture today you decide to head downtown, take advantage of the sunshine and use it to play with the construction and offices in and around the West End. Your first usable shot is a beautiful example... the play of light on reflective towers, the cluster of the city.

As usual you're drawn to the patterns of the city, the repetitions, the meshing of olds and news, classic and steel-based. The absolute symmetry of windows and ledges, offices and apartments.

But even more than that, you love the shine, the sheen, the reflectivity of downtown... the way light bounces from building to building, shimmering like water in windows... reflections of reflections of reflections.

But beyond even that, beyond just the beauty of it, you realize something it took you 20 years to realize. Something you denied growing up the social wilds of California, something you denied by the sea in Oregon... something you never wanted to admit, but that you now can't deny-

These are not just reflections of A city.

This is your city. This is your heart. This is where you belong.