A Bit More About My Book and Photos From the Last Few Days
I have shared recently that I believe that my book is finally coming together. The muse is speaking beautifully and I’m just trying to listen and see where it goes. I still anticipate that it will be ready by the end of the year for ordering as a PDF & MOBI ebook as well as a self-published book through blurb.com. More on ordering details later.
What the book is going to be is a book of reflections throughout the year on finding meaning in the ordinary. Each entry will be a reflection upon that day’s “Bench” image that I have been photographing at 7:45am many mornings this year. Some entries will include links to multimedia (songs especially) but also videos that are a part of the reflection. In the ebook, they will be clickable but there will also be QR codes for the print version.
One unusual thing is that the entries are simply going to be on the days that I photographed that bench. Some months have 15-20 entries while June has only 4 for example. I thought about changing it to be a weekly/consistent thing but I decided to go with it as it is. The moments were photographed in the ordinary everyday of my life and schedule so the book will be the same.
There will also be introductions to each month that will be a bit more about the practice of contemplative photography and some personal reflections upon my experience of the intersection of spirituality and photography. Some entries will be rooted in my life within the Jesus tradition while others will have a wider sense of spirituality.
I am grateful for the amazing gifts of my coworker Michele who has agreed to do the layout and design of the book so I can focus on the photography and writing. That’s a big part of why I feel I am going to be able to finish this before the end of the year.
I look forward to sharing some samples with you once we start doing some proofing and finalize some layout work. I really feel there is a deep leading that I have to put this out to the world.
In the meantime, here are some recent photos from the last few days for me. As an enneagram five, I am finding myself in a very unusual place physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I cannot get into my head right now, which is normally my default. Right now, my experience of life is all in my body and in my emotions. A very strange place indeed. You may pick up on some of that in these photos including Scout’s face.
Calendars
I do want to remind you that calendars are on sale as well. Thank you for those who have already put in orders. Some are being shipped already. Just a reminder that the bench calendar will not be finished up until sometime in early December since I need to photograph a 7:45am moment in December!
Last thing - this song - 13 (There is a Light) by U2. This song was central to me in the time when I had left my last congregation and was in the not-yet of finding my next place of ministry. It came up in a shuffle while I was in the car today and it led to quite a cry. The whole of the song is the reality of struggle, pain, and grief in life but then getting to the end with this profound challenge:
“Are you tough enough to be kind?”
I’ll leave it with that.
Grace, Peace, Love, and Joy,
Ed
PS - Still not OK but more OK than a few days ago. And that’s OK.