A Lion’s Whisper
My horoscope was given to me by a friend, and being a Leo I felt it necessary to offer a rant & ramble from my mind.
“There is a kind of freedom in getting lost, Leo. Suppose you were traveling to a destination and you made a wrong turn in a thick woods. Before long, you lost track of which road led you there, and you had no clue what direction to follow. The thing is; there is a freedom in not knowing where to go. You now have the chance to start from scratch in a confusing situation. You may choose any path you want, and then make the most of it.” LEO 2.25.12
I feel as if I have been living a life contained within these words. I have and will continue to create a positive relationship with the uncertainties of my tomorrows. I tend to find a motivation behind the ideal that “the slate is clean” and in doing so, I hold a colorful array of chalks to draw my next steps into the future.
We have all stood upon the threshold of life’s “crossroads”; staring aimlessly all around ourselves, hoping for that golden answer to blow in the wind. As our two feet grip at the edge of what is to come next we brace ourselves to shake hands with “Anticipation”; knowing that inevitably an adventure is going to ensue. Within this much defined moment that we grasp we are also confronted with the graces of “Uncertainty”. She dances around dressed in a great gown of anxiety, as if to befuddle and amuse us. Neither one seems to come without the other, and both leaves us immediately reacting to an event that we do not yet truly understand; Tomorrow will come, in tomorrow’s hands. Do not be wronged by the thought that “yes” this is a fight or flight moment in our lives. It is one to judge our grit upon, and understand our frights. We all must face what we don’t understand, and to do so allows us an internal comprehension of whom we truly can become. There does come a time when our fears vanish into the distance of yesterdays and within such moments we are then left standing to the entrance of our freed future.
I have found that freedom comes within the understanding that we can create the magnificence of our very next step. Believing in ourselves is the hardest struggle, but once we do- may we all see our futures in a whole new light.
How do you envision freedom?
What may come of a dream
I have become an individual that has put much faith into the will of the world. I have not been one to stand at life’s 
invigorating vast edges, just to dangle my toes in the moment. I seem to fall into a motion, one that is as enchanting as the flight of a heron. Awkward broad flaps that seem to be a demise to my own ambition of flight, not necessarily the beginning to a beautiful dance. It is this leap of faith into the unknown that is all I hear, all that I am drawn to, and it is this faith that keeps my dreams alive.
Today; life’s morning breath wrestled with a metallic wind chime, awakening me from my dreams that have left their playful depiction across my minds many miles. Within the darkened nightscape, my mind raced around cultivating it’s own imagination, and painting pictures of elusive worlds that hide in the recesses of far away corners. Within these fair dreams creation was invented, and potential was draped with drops of oil color reality. I am humored of what comes to fruition and resembles desires that grace the movements of my lips as I speak. Aspirations send reverberations across the moistened pale skin that does border my mouth; leaving me enamored by the delicate sanity that one might confuse as feasible.
The first steps of opportunity are always the most embellished for me. From the far end of my visual scope I stand; waiting and ready- intimidated by the first step that I must take. The distance that spans from me to my dreams; my envisioned reality, is filled with treacherous passes that seem to carry on as far as my own existence. Yet, a desire to manifest such dreams into my reality lingers within each putter of my beating heart. It is this banter between the pains of uncertainty and the craving for the outcome that fills me with a lust for life. It is without hesitation that I take my first step and find myself immersed in a life that I live, that I breathe, and that I dream of.
Thai Dreaming
The trunks of age old trees stand at attention like young cadets at an R.O.T.C. training camp, and the thick 
canopy overhead softly sways with a humid breath from the breeze. Years of daily traffic by pedestrians, elephants, and trucks alike have carved out this dirt road that tunnels its way through the dense Thai forest. As perspiration beads at my forehead; I become slightly more irritated by the pebbles that rudely hide themselves between my toes. However, as I gaze into the eyes of three young monks adorned with genuine smiles taking calm steps towards me, I realize that these are minor interruptions within today’s harmony. Their golden robes flow accordingly with their arms and legs swaying underneath, as if performing choreographed dance within the theory of natural flow. With each new step a small cloud of dust is kicked up from the arid path that they float across. I am filled with wonderment and a desire to understand the world that is magically painted with the essence of life in front of me. How do we capture such beauty in one specific moment?
The obnoxious beeps ring loudly from my alarm clock as I thrash from my bed to turn it off. I stammer with my thoughts wondering where I am or where I have come from. The foreign dream has quickly escaped my reality, and I am left with recognition of another ordinary day. As my eyes focus I stare at the metallic picture that garnishes my wall, and was the depiction of my dream- “Buddha and Thai metal prints; Chang Mai”.
Photographer; Christian Heeb has an eye for images that will transcend you to faraway lands with a simple glance. Look into Christian’s incredible galleries via www.heebphoto.photoshelter.com or catch him at www.ccophoto.com where he and his wife, Regula have created the Cascade Center of Photography in Bend, OR.
Offer your comments in regards to Christian’s work or other travel photography below.
