The lone seagull

I just returned from a week on the East Coast. I spent several days with my boyfriend in Maine where we drove from Boston up the coast to visit friends, see the leaves change in New England, and otherwise spend some quiet time together.

And I was, of course, capturing as much of our time and space on film as I could.

But try as I might I could not get the perfect shot of a seagull. This was my one best shot. The rest are close ups of gulls who would not fly, far away shots of gulls that are blurry, and far away shots of geese who were flying in formation. But I couldn't capture the whole flock in time, so their formation looks a bit off.

I heard myself call out several times, "Stop, bird, stop!" Rick even laughed at me for it. But I wanted that one perfect shot, the one where the bird is close up, and you can see the feathers on the wings. There is action. I was shooting them in Ogunquit, I was shooting them in Camden, I was shooting them whereever I could spot them quick enough. But they're not cooperative birds. They fly on their schedule not mine. I waited several minutes once for one of those birds to take flight. He was perched not three feet from my legs, but he wouldn't budge. Not even when I walked right past him. He would not budge. He wasn't ready. "Go, bird, go," I told this one. But nothing. "Fly. Please." Nope. Not a movement on his feathers.

So, I wound up with this shot. It has action. You can see it's bird. But you can't really tell it's a gull.

It's not bad. You can see the sky was gray and dark. It was a stormy day, really, not monsoon stormy like here in Arizona, but misty, sometimes cloudy, and slightly cool.

But I got my gull.

He's in the air, wings outstretched, and he's just a tad bit too far away. But the photo's clear enough.

Taking these shots involved an act of patience. I didn't have my 35mm camera with me, the one that I can point and shoot several shots in a second. I had a simple digital camera, nothing too expensive, nothing impressive. But it did it's job. It helped me get a shot of a seagull in flight.

It's a good example of not getting exactly what you want but being able to be content for what's available.

I'm happy with this shot. I'm happy I was photographing birds. I'm glad I was able to spend time with the one I love.

Patience is a good thing. It's a virtue that can really come in handy during troublesome times. The next time you happen to be in the presence of a seagull, maybe you'll think of that.

More about patience

My daughter and her new husband just moved back in with me for a few months. They moved in with me the first time last summer, because he got laid off from his job. This is the second time, and it happened again. My daughter is frustrated and worried but wants to be supportive, of course. And she doesn't want to worry me. I'm not worried. After she told me about the job situation this time, she mentioned that she thinks God must be trying to teach her something.

I told her this:

"God is teaching you patience...[He wants you to know that we] do not get all that we want just because we want it. Accept what you need with graciousness--shelter, food, comfort from a loved one--and know that all the extra stuff is just that, extra.

I further explained to her that when I was going through my worst days with her father who had just left me--and I wasn't sure what was coming next--I just tried to focus on being thankful for what I had at the moment. I joined a Bible Study class for assistance. And I was praying a lot! At the same time, I allowed myself to be open to the possibilities, whatever they might be.

"You may take some detours," I told her, "but you will find the road you're meant to be on."

If you find yourself in a similar situation, where you're not sure what's coming next--and that scares you--remember to focus on the now. Ask yourself: What can I do today to plan for tomorrow?"

It may not be the complete answer to your fears, but it's an action step. Focus like that will help move you forward instead of allow you to stay stuck.

And, by the way, if you noticed I've been MIA again, that's because I'm working on my book. I've been on the road a lot lately and will continue to be for the next four months or so as I complete the research I need to do for my travel guide. I'm exploring the backroads & byways of Arizona for my book of the same name. Many of the places I'm visiting are without cell phone service and Internet connection. My book will be out in the spring of 2009 (Countryman Press). More details on that later.

For now, choose to enjoy the rest of your day.

All my best,
Jackie

Just joining us?

If you're new to the BIKE WITH JACKIE blog, I encourage you to start reading from the beginning. You'll get a better understanding of how the mental BIKE operates. It's a progression really. In previous posts, I've talked about how patience is necessary while you're in transition. We all want things these days, like, right now. Today even. But creating quality of life takes time, and you're the architect.

Like the architect who draws up plans and works with consultants and developers or contractors to create the masterpiece building, you also will operate similarly to create your masterpiece life. You might consider hiring a life coach or a therapist, depending on your needs. You might need legal assistance. You might need friends now more than ever. It'll take time to develop the you you want to be. But you'll need to know who to call for help when help is needed. Architects don't do it all themselves. They have help. You'll be looking for help as well.

Reaching out might be a huge step for those of us in turmoil. But you'll see that going with others makes the transition a lot easier to navigate than going it alone.

I've discussed some of this already. I've also explained that this blog isn't about exercise, that a bicycle just happened to be the way of my journey. It's how I got my start to a new life. It was the beginning of my reaching out. I encourage you to get on a bicycle. I think it's a wonderful way to measure personal growth. But it's not necessary for yours. You may be drawn to something else entirely. If you read from the beginning, you'll understand what I mean, and you'll see how this journey is yours. The way you make it happen is yours. The progress is yours. I'm just here to provde you an idea on how you can begin it.

BIKE is simply a metaphor for the time and space you give yourself. It's a powerful tool, but only if you use it.

Keep reading, I'll explain as we go along.

Ask questions if you like. I'm happy to respond to your comments.

All my best,
Jackie