Sunday, September 14, 2008

Amber and The Matrix

The Matrix - Lynda Lehmann c 2008

Life grants us choices, but each choice carries a paradox. Like the stream and boulders in the photo above, we are called to a delicate and tenuous balance. For all humanity, reason must come to bear in creating this balance. Action without reasoned thought leads to disequilibrium, and chronic imbalance leads to destruction.

We must struggle to reach informed opinions. If we act only from "the gut" we will shut out reason. In the Age of Information, being adrift in a sea of conflicting viewpoints and alleged "facts" requires us to carry the compass of wise and reasoned thought. As the water flows eternally over the stones in the stream, we must find a solid core of reasoning to guide us through life's flux and uncertainty.

Amber - Lynda Lehmann c 2008


Images c Lynda Lehmann. If you would like to view more of my art or make a purchase, please visit Lynda Lehmann Painting and Photography or my gallery at Imagekind, where you can buy my prints plain or matted and framed.

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29 comments:

  1. Good point here. I love the abstract-esque look of water. A wonderful subject to shoot!

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  2. your words have a lovely resonance Lynda..
    just like your photos....
    the comparisons that you make between the boulders in the stream and life's choices are beautifully written...

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  3. So true, Lynda. Beautiful images to go with the powerful words.

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  4. a well-written post, thanks for sharing.

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  5. Wise words and lovely images! Rocks have always represented "strength" to me. Thank you Lynda! :o)

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  6. very true, while sometimes your gut and intuition is absolutely right, a lot of times you gotta take time to look at the facts and make an informed decision based on pure observation and knowledge...

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  7. Lynde:

    Very well said. Temperance in all things will yield a wise judgment.

    Happy trails.

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  8. Interesting point, Lynda. I agree, and I believe that instinct somehow informs reason in a way that leads to genuine balance.

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  9. Hey Lynda,

    Absolutely fantastic words.
    It is interesting how you addressed balance, for I too addressed, in my blog, a concept called "Existential Equilibrium" (the balance between Material life and the spiritual one).

    Living, on earth, is full of complexities that need to be dealt with - after all that is why we are (to learn and to evolve as souls within a flesh-shell).

    Choice: this is a complex concept, how much choice do we make? And how far is everything preconceived? Interesting subject that feeds Reason for days...

    Beautiful photos, darling! Peaceful :D!

    Cheers

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  10. beautiful water photos - reminds me of a park on the Cape Fear where we walk our dog

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  11. Lynda this post and images are so powerful. You really have good eye for abstract photography. Anna :)

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  12. You write so profoundly Lynda, great images to meditate on while reading.

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  13. LANA, the more I shoot water, the more I WANT to shoot it. I could lose myself in the sounds it makes, the colors and the textures.

    KIM, thank you! Now, to try to make some intelligent choices....lol.

    KATHY, thank you! Hope you're having a heyday with your camera.

    KRIZ, thanks for stopping by. It's always good to see you.

    CAROL, I feel the same way about rocks. To me they symbolize "strength" and "enduring presence."

    ED, In my opinion, learning to make sound, construction decisions and rational judgments is one of our greatest challenges as a species!

    SWUBIRD, thank you and happy trails to you! I'm comin' over to read another of your adventures!

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  14. SANDY, I agree that intuition is also very important. Sometimes when two or multiple answers are plausible, it will be our intuition that breaks the deadlock.

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  15. MAX,

    Ah, that is indeed another kind of balance we need to seek. Not an easy task.

    You're right that the issues of choice and free will are very complex. Perhaps that is why what we call "the truth" is so difficult to get at. And of course, truth comes in many forms....

    Great to see you, my friend. Hugs to you, across the great ocean!

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  16. ANNA and BOB, thanks to both of you for your very kind words. I always love to hear from you! :) :)

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  17. Kia ora Lynda,
    Thank you for this. It strikes a deep resonance within me and current issues in my life and the mountains I love. Cheers.
    Rangimarie,
    Robb

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  18. Lynda, what beautiful words of wisdom. You have that peace of mind that many search for and few find. :D

    Great pic too!!!

    God has made us all different so we do have to figure out our own rights and wrongs in life. Advice only goes so far. You showed that profound imagery with your photo and your inspirational words. :D

    Hugs, JJ

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  19. Reason is a wonderful tool and I'm sure we weren't given brains not to use them, but the use of reason requires the necessary information and all too often the reliable facts we need are not available. This is why it seems to me that we also need intuition. I don't think this comes from 'the gut'. 'Gut' reactions are more likely to be driven by fear. I see it more as coming from the heart, or perhaps from a deep inner 'knowing'.

    If you were buying a new house, I wonder, would you buy it only according to reason? If it had the necessary number of rooms and, say, proximity to the shops, would that be enough? Or would you look for some other source of 'knowing' within you before you made your decision?

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  20. ROBB, you know that your writing and experiences with nature strike a deep resonance with me and my core values/perspective, as well...

    Liv'nGood Jewelry, you are lucky to have such a place to go to for solace. Your doggie, too--I'm sure he loves it! We live on Long Island and have to come all the way up here to New England, to find open space--although of course, LI has its beaches. But when there, you know you can never get far off the beaten path....

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  21. JJ, It's always good to hear from you. Maybe one day we photo buffs from the Blogosphere will meet and go on a colossal photo shoot! Yeah, I know: only in my dreams, lol....

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  22. SIMON, I certainly DO believe that intuition has its place. I did not mean to imply otherwise, only to say that reason should be part of the mix when making decisions, especially those of a practical or political nature. I'm a big fan of intuition and the "Creative Mind"! And "heart" certainly comes to bear on all our choices-- although I do not believe in yielding to an untempered reactive-ness, whether it's coming from the heart OR the "gut." :)

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  23. Oh Lynda,
    The images and your words are so profound and beautiful.

    They make one stop and think.

    I am finally home after 5 months. I hope all is going better for you than it went for me.

    What an excellent writer you are!!:-)))

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  24. SHINADE, how good to see you! I hope nothing was seriously wrong...

    We're doing fine, still up to our necks in work but taking off an hour here and there.

    I'm so glad to see you! And thanks for stopping by and for your kind words!

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  25. I love coming here, tho I don't do it often and this may be my first comment. I just wanted you to know that it is easier for me to breathe when I come here and read and look and listen. Thank you.

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  26. luckyzmom, Your comment just brought tears to my eyes, as it is not only kind but so eloquent. You've made my day--it means a lot to me if my little contribution to the Blogosphere has, at any time, made you feel good!!

    Blessings....

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