The alarm went off at 5am. I woke and rubbed the sleep from my eyes even whilst questioning my decision to wake up so early. But wake I did and as I dressed my enthusiasm built; A sunrise over water was not something I got to experience where I lived and so I looked forward to a resplendent sunrise of rich colours and that glorious moment when I'd feel the first rays of the day reaching out to touch my face. I'd constructed it so perfectly in my mind - I was excited to get to watch the day begin.
The early wake-up was designed to leave enough time to brew a coffee, the smell of which perked me up a little. I set off, coffee in hand, towards the water to sit and watch the miraculous vibrant sunrise that would be so beautiful and totally perfect this morning.
I found a spot on the rocks and sat down to await natures splendour and to sip my delicious coffee. I had snacks too, trail-bars, which I chomped into between sips of coffee. The glory and splendour of it all, I thought to myself as I waited for the sunrise perfection that would soon unfold before my eyes. I waited expectantly.
A little later, coffee gone, snacks just crumbs on my vest and eyes a little droopy with sleep it began. This is it, I thought...Oh how glorious! But glorious it was not...It was nice for sure, but glorious? Hmm, maybe I should have just stayed in bed and got those hours of sleep because this wasn't what I would call glorious.
The sunrise fail
I was a little disappointed with the sunrise; How dare it not meet my expectations? The colour wasn't quite as vibrant as I had imagined it. The sky didn't glow with reds, oranges and purples as I had assumed. The sun didn't caress my face with its golden-red rays - It didn't herald the day in a glorious display of colour and light. There was a little colour sure, but I felt cheated and a little dejected - All that lost sleep for this?
I was already there of course so I took some photos anyway and as I moved about trying to capture some colour, get some reflections on the still ocean, I started to warm to what I was actually seeing; I began to understand the moment and the remarkable beauty of it despite the sunrise not living up to my initial expectations. I also began to feel ashamed of my initial feelings of ingratitude and as that feeling spread through me I felt enlightened, just as the day became enlightened around me. It was glorious after all.
I saw the sunrise differently from then; I saw it for what it is; A gift of time and a new beginning. In truth, the first day of the rest of my life. A moment in which I could make choices and decisions and I chose to do both...To see the beauty before me regardless of that beauty not being what I had at first thought it would be...And to change my attitude and open up to what lay before me, the vision, the beauty and the day ahead...My future. I decided to live in the moment, to make it valuable and special - The way all of life's moments should be.
I watched
I watched a tuna boat heading out to harvest a catch, the wake from its bow slowly making its way to the shore, ripples catching a little colour from the rising sun; It's crew was probably oblivious to the sunrise as they prepared for a day's work - I revelled in it.
I watched the seabirds wheel overhead as they rose to find their morning meal their calls sounding optimistic...Most followed the tuna boat knowing there was a bountiful harvest to be found there as the crew baited the waters around them - I wished I could fly.
I watched as the day became lighter revealing the sky reflected in calm ocean waters and I set my camera down to enjoy it, to think about my future, the day ahead and beyond. I thought about expectations, how sometimes it's best to have none - Enjoy the moment.
Expectations
It's probably quite human to have expectations; To set them for ourselves and impose them on other people and things as I did with the sunrise. Is it right or wrong though?
Probably neither I suppose although I believe it's best not to set them unattainably high. In fact, I believe there's a certain benefit to lowering our expectations which can allow us to deal better with not meeting them perfectly every time and to bring better feelings when expectations are met and exceeded.
Of course, I'm not one to lower expectations of myself, but with those around me, the people I value and love...I try not push my own high-expectations upon them and simply allow them to be them, to amaze me with their perfectly imperfect natures, abilities, actions and emotions. It's a nicer way to be I think. It doesn't always work out perfectly but life isn't ever perfect and neither are people. It's our imperfections that make us perfectly us.
My photography expectations are very low; I know I'm not good at it but I do what I can with the skills I have and I'm content. The sunrise-fail you see in this post is an example - But I am content. I lived that moment and it is special for that reason, no matter how bad the photography may be. Again, imperfect, but perfectly me - A moment in my life.
For me life is about contentment and doing what I do for myself and those in my immediate sphere, the people I love and value. You may be one of those people, reading this, and if so you must surely know how important you are to me, how valued you are - If you don't reach out to me and I'll make it right. I know how to.
It's moments like this early morning vigil and the imperfect sunrise that mean so much to me - Life's moments.
It's the same with those I call special; It's those special people that make the difference, not the sunrise, the view or even the coffee...It's about the relationship and not needing to place expectation upon it - It's about togetherness, humility, kindness and shared experiences. It's about connection; Giving to, and receiving of, the other. That's perfect imperfection in my mind, and those are very valued moments spent with special people, despite not all of them being perfectly vibrant and glorious all the time.
You may not have been here with me in this moment, but if you are in that sphere of value, that small group of special people, you were there with me in my heart.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Discord: galenkp#9209
Nice shots and story. Took me back to when I used to spend a lot of time hunting in the hills and forests back in Missouri. No water to look out on (except when we went camping at the lake), but my favorite thing was to get up even earlier at 3-4am walk a couple miles into the woods, take a little nap and then listen to the sounds of the forest waking up around me, and looking out at the views from one of my spots on the hill.
Tks for the flashback.
Hey mate, thanks for commenting.
I have done the same, as you mention, not just on hunting trips but anytime I'm out and about in the wilderness...There's something nice about sitting still as the day comes to life and watching/feeling the shift from night to day. A nice moment.
Just beautiful.
I so know how you feel. I have seen many sunrises over the oceans, many 'so called' disappointments and many skies in flames, but always, it is the silence around me and within me during this time that I value most.
I like your photos. Today anyone can snap a pic of a beautiful sunrise - if they take the time to see it. You shared more of you.
I don't know what it is about sunsets and sunrises but they make me feel. That's a pretty good thing I'd say.
I remember one occasion when the sunrise just didn't want to play nicely. I was on Fraser Island, the worlds largest sand island, which sits off the east coast of Queensland. It's four-wheel drive only and is accessed by ferry.
I'd woken early to see an amazing sunrise on the beach but it just got lighter, no colour at all. I was pretty disappointed...But I was up early and the day was coming to life. I stoked the fire, cooked up some bacon and eggs, brewed a coffee and headed out in my four wheel drive to find adventure...The early start, getting up to watch the non-eventful sunrise, gave me a jump on the day and it was such an awesome day...Champagne rock pools, Eli creek, Lake McKenzie - No people. Thanks for getting me up early sunrise.
It's all about perspective I guess right?
Yup, perspective it is. No matter if in photography or life - it keeps or breaks the balance.
Extraordinary beauty seems to happen when we are not at all waiting for it, and it takes us aback with its perfection. Most of the time, it's unplanned. Even when we try to have "no expectations," so often the very process of planning for something sets us up for... disappointment.
There is beauty in the imperfection, as you said... it's why I love many of the Japanese cultural tenets such as wabi-sabi (embracing imperfection and transience) and mono no aware (awareness of the impermanence of things, matched with a gentle wistfulness at their passing) which ultimately amount to an acceptance and embracing of life as it is.
I experienced my own moment of Presence an hour or so ago, and perhaps what made it most perfect was that I resisted the temptation to dash for my camera in a vain attempt to capture something utterly uncapturable. Instead, it simply unfolded. Like your sunrise.
The rising and setting of the sun seems to be one of the most broadly evocative parts of the human experience. Somehow, it is as if we — even if just for a few moments — connect intensely with the deepest essence of ourselves.
Maybe you should write all my posts as it seems you're able to say what I think far better, and more succinctly, than I ever could; I'm just a knucklehead who thinks some stuff and tries to write it after all.
Thanks for your comment and it's nice to hear I'm not the only one to allow moments to simply unfold as they will and to sit still within nature and let it be.
The sunsets are easier to game, for sure. As the sun goes down, you can begin to see the colours somewhat, then you can get a feel for whether or not the sunset will be photo worthy. If the weather was bad, yet skies are clear, then you may be in store for a Rock star sunset.
I get some amazing sunrises here at home. The sun comes up over the hills across the road where I hike daily and often bathes the sky in red, orange and purple; Add in some clouds and there's a fairly wondrous display to behold. I was looking forward to the same over the water. Oh well, the moment wasn't wasted despite the sunrise not living up to my hopes.
Thanks for commenting.
I just noticed that the way you write on your blog seems like a letter written for your diary. Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not a grammar of anything nerdy about it. I just felt it while I was reading all the way down. But what was nice to see is that, you always know how to tell your story @galenkp. ^^
Hive is my only social media and I tend to use it as a sounding board for my own thoughts at times, more than people realise actually. I'm glad to have you involved in my story through your comment. :)
A sounding board for your own thoughts... interesting. I treat my blog that way too but it's getting less and less content from me. But how you said it, it had finesse. 😅
I know I have a lot of work to do, not only to my blog but also on me. Sometimes, it's hard to function when youre not mentally fine. Other times, the words just come out forming a new content. There so mny ways that I know I could've done to improve and develop what I do, but things just happen for whatever reason. I hope I could find the balance.
Thank you by the way for inlcuding me. ^^
Balance will come in time...Just take one step at a time and things will move forward.
Yes, thank you. ^^
Now this is what I call "a perfect post", as it explains our imperfections and how we are to embrace them as we are all human. I think that you had a beautiful show and that it was so worth getting up at an abnormal hour.
The great thing here is that you worked it out in gratitude and saw it as it really was, simply beautiful.
Consider you could have seen this that I took this morning and believe it or not, I think it is beautiful.
To wake up with nature early morning is a sure blessing and in those special moments as everything comes to life I can just let my thoughts go travelling in the mysteries that surround us.
I am nothing special but guess what ? I was there with you hahaha.
And so, you have a great post here my friend.
Thanks mate, I appreciate your kind words. These days, in my advanced years, every day my feet hit the ground is a good day...The alternative is a funeral pyre in the woods somewhere and I'm not quite ready for that although today has been a challenge so burning up in white hot flames could have solved some issues. Instead I toughed it out as always.
I like storm clouds, storms in general...Rain and all...Good staying in weather.
Wow! Serious stuff here mate. Advanced years? Funeral pyres? Challenges?
I detect a vey negative stream flowing here, so it has to be serious?
Do me a favor and look intently at that tag picture of yours here.
That is Galen, the cool, calm and smart guy that I know and he can handle anything as he knows life is not always filled with roses.
With the roses comes the thorns and at times the pain when one sticks into us can be unbearable. You and I know that pain well and we have endured it many times.
So suit up with your battle gear and continue with the war soldier.
Glad that you toughed it out, as that's how I have come to know you.
I'm not one to quit Zac, but I get knocked down sometimes. It might take a moment or two but always stand and get back into the fight.
Oh yeah, for sure and I know that my friend, as I am made of the same stuff.
A word of encouragement though always helps.
No one can feel as you do, but we all have set backs aimed directly at us and we all handle them in our own ways, but there is one thing that we have in common.
We always get up, dust ourselves off and continue with the battle.
I have felt such before, when having high expectations on something, your sure it will happen or work. Something you made by yourself, something you set according to your plans and imagination. But they all failed, they went opposite of one's imagination😑, but still, with its results. We fashioned it to our taste.
I'm in love with the images, especially the third image. It looks like I Can touch the sky 😊. I'll love to save it. I'll look good as a wallpaper and others 🙏
Thanks, the images are ok although it was the moment in which I lived, sitting there on those rocks, that was the true wonder. :)
The beauty is what I can't explain. I would to save it 😊
This is really beautiful, you can see and feel the light of the sun that has just risen in a very beautiful place, with very attractive colors visible on the water.
Moreover, you enjoy it with a cold cup of coffee in the morning.
Enjoy it @galenkp.
It is a lovely place for sure.
Yeah.