Road or no Road… Congratulations, Lens-Artists!

One person’s smooth road, another person’s torment… Considering everything that’s been going on in the world recently, this may very well sum up the confluence of events, I believe. Knowing what awaits behind the corner is one thing, following the right path is another… and discerning that right path – any path –and transforming it into a traveled road is yet another.

I took these photos during my first out of town venture once the lockdown was no more. In more ways than one, I missed being on the road, that feeling of heading somewhere. I – like so many others – missed lots of things, various taken for granted aspects of individual freedom. I dealt with it, I tried to make the best of it, and here we are, on the road again, doing our best to stay safe and be free at the same time.

Truth be told, much as I missed a good shopping session or a delicious cocktail served by an ingratiating waiter in a nice venue, I missed other things more. Suddenly, a walk in the park or on the nearest beach became as inaccessible as a trip around the globe. Suddenly, small things were no longer small, and small freedoms that I enjoyed – and perhaps others couldn’t, good reminder – were no longer available. But knowing it was temporary and for a good cause made all the difference, unlike lack of freedom in other contexts.

So yes, the first thing I did once I was allowed, was go see the sea again. My other statement of freedom? A longer drive, out of town this time, so I could afterwards walk freely (and safely, I might add). A chatty ranger was greeting everybody and charging them an insignificant fee when entering the natural reservation that day of regained freedom of movement. As many other introverts, I’m not crazy about small talk with strangers, but somehow it bothered me far less. Greeting the few people I met while hiking on that trail was also part of the treat that day represented. I think there was a glimmer of victory in everybody’s eyes, even from afar; life and freedom had won. If anything, freedom and life should always be on the winning side…

But everything else aside, this week is an important one for our little blogging community – it’s the 100^th Lens-Artists Challenge! Ladies, congratulations! You helped keep us together, you offered inspiration… and if no one else mentioned it (I have yet to go through the last weeks’ contributions), you also provided much needed distraction and motivation during this anything but normal spring. For that, I thank you! Keep up the great work for as long as you can, you’ve been leading us on a beautiful blogging road for a while!

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