Light Purple Pansy

If only the air outside was as light as this purple pansy. For the past few days, the hot humid weather in DC has been miserable and unbearable. It's never a good sign when you can actually "feel" the air due to the heaviness of the humidity. It's like when I lived in California, I was able to "see" the air due to growing air pollution.

With more than 29 states in the United States issuing heat advisories right now, hopefully those climate change naysayers will finally get the clue that "something" is happening to the environment and this change is increasingly making life more difficult for us.

Special thanks to Willis Carrier who invented modern air conditioning in 1902. It is an invention that is making life bearable right now during this heat wave.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Any time I encounter a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi and I have my camera, I must stop and photograph it. This habit is due to my mother, of course. If she had been Catholic and had to pick a saint during the Sacrament of Confirmation, I pretty confident she would have picked St. Francis. As an aside, I picked Joan of Arc, but I'll talk about that in another post.

Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher during the 12th and 13th centuries, who founded the Franciscan order. Born to a wealthy family, he gave up his worldly possessions for a life of poverty following a vision while fighting in a war. He is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment, which is probably why his statue in Middleburg shown in today's post was in close proximity to the statue of a fox in an earlier post.

Other than the Serenity Prayer, the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi is the only scripted prayer I pray. Its words remind me of the role I should play in my family, my workplace, my community and our world. Like Saint Francis, I believe that we are each a channel for good will and good works. Within us, we have the capability and tools to change the world and life's circumstances, bringing more peace and love and less hatred and destruction.

If I ever was a contestant in a beauty pageant and was asked, "How would you bring about world peace?," instead of responding with complicated solutions, such as eradicating global poverty or demilitarizing global powers, I would just simply say, "Through me."

I would start with me and then hopefully, living a life of love, integrity and compassion would catch on and others would live similar lives as well. Before we knew it, the world would be at peace. Yes, it is idealistic and eternally optimistic answer, but while change beginning with just me may be small, it is definitely better than no change at all.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury,pardon;
here there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Pure Imagination

The song "Pure Imagination" from the original film, Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, has been playing in my head all week. I can't seem to shake it. I tend to obsess about songs with beautiful or haunting melodies, like "Pure Imagination." Plus, cast members in a recent episode of Fox's "Glee" sang it in a poignant moment on the show.

Its lyrics remind us the importance of keeping our eyes open and taking in all around us. For example, during my visit to Middleburg, I passed by this tree and thought nothing of it. Externally, this tree covered in plain green leaves just seemed so ordinary. However upon closer inspection, I discovered this magnolia flower hiding beneath the tree's foliage. As the song suggests, we really can see paradise just by looking around us.

"Pure Imagination"
from the film, Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of
Pure imagination
Take a look
And you'll see
Into your imagination.

We'll begin
With a spin
Traveling in
The world of my creation.
What we'll see
Will defy
Explanation.

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing
To it.

There is no
Life I know
To compare with
Pure imagination.
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly wish to be.

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it.
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing
To it.

There is no
Life I know
To compare with
Pure imagination.
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly
Wish to be.

Tree Sign

Along Route 50 which runs through Middleburg's city center, there are several old churches, including the one mentioned in Monday's post. Outside of the doors of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church is this tree. Doesn't it look like a Christian cross? I don't think I've ever seen a tree with such symmetrical and aligned branches like this one. I wonder if it was intentionally placed, or if its unusual growth was inspired by its spiritual environment.

To Err is Human, To Lie About It is Stupid

We've all had that moment (or several) where we questioned whether we should tell the truth or not. At the time, we might convince ourselves that telling the lie would be easier, simpler. In reality, nothing can be further from the truth.

Ask Representative Anthony Weiner. Or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Or John Edwards. Or Tiger Woods. Or Newt Gingrich. Or Bill Clinton. The list of public figures caught in lies could go on and on. The news cycle is littered with them. They all falsely believed that their position, their power, their influence or even their untarnished reputation would protect them from the truth becoming public. What they failed to understand is that the truth always, without fail, comes out. It might take fifteen years (just ask Arnold Schwarzenegger), but the truth is always leaked or dug up.

Alexander Pope said, "To err is human; to forgive is divine," and he was right. We are not perfect and make mistakes; it's part of human nature. It is also part of our nature to forgive, but forgiveness must be earned. In order for us to forgive another, we must believe that they are worthy of our forgiveness. What is the best way to ensure worthiness? Admit your mistake. Claim responsibility for your actions. And most importantly, do not lie or be deceptive.

Even if you admit fault later, it may be too late to save your credibility or reputation. The revelation of the lie corrupts and undermines future words and actions. If Weiner had claimed responsibility when first asked about that Twitter photo and just admitted sending that inappropriate image, he might have survived the threat of resignation. Now, it seems like a forgone conclusion.

Oh,when we will learn that what seems easier in the short-term often costs us more in the long-term? Following mistakes, we should be as transparent as this flower in daylight. We must speak the truth early and often, and accept the consequences as they come knowing they would have been worse or more costly when perceived as a liar.

Church Garden Walk

This past weekend, the weather in Virginia was perfect -- sunny, but not too hot or humid. But, it wasn't the best photography weather. Clear skies and lots of sun can play tricks on cameras and tends to drown out color and detail of your photo subject.

The sun was definitely not my friend during my photo walk in Middleburg. While this photograph of the flowering plant-lined sidewalk along old Middleburg United Methodist Church is attractive, the sunshine dulled the impact of the bright green foliage and charm of the area in the image. Still learning how to "trick" the camera by adjusting its settings to counter this effect on sunny days. All challenges aside, it is still a pretty composition. Wouldn't you like your backyard or neighborhood to look like this?

Fox Hunt Country

Living so close to the city, it is easy to forget that just an hour drive away in eastern Virginia is farmland with fields of food and grazing livestock.

On Saturday, I drove out to Middleburg in Loudoun County which is a rural area just 40 miles away from DC. It is home to polo matches, horse jumping competitions, wineries, antique shopping, and even controversial fox hunting. Residents of Middleburg prefer horse riding attire than more formal city attire.

In the city center, there is a statue of a fox poised to run at the sound of the fox hunt's hounds and riders. To say it is like another world there would be an understatement. I enjoyed the break from city life and the slower pace in Middlebury, but I'm glad that I missed the fox hunt.