Lions at the Door

When I was younger I was extremely gregarious. I think it came from the years of my growing up when I was overweight, had horned rim glasses (wire rims were the rage), wore my brother’s hand me down clothing and had the twin curses of acne and braces. Being outgoing was a way I overcame years of isolation.  With grand gestures I tried to reach out from my isolation.

 

Now I am a little more reserved.  Trust me I have not gone into a shell or anything but I have backed away from the “Hey everybody” and the outrageous speech and acts to draw others in.  Maybe it is maturity.  Maybe it is aging.

 

These days I find myself drawn more and more to things than to people.  I am not talking about toys like sport cars and Apple watches. I am drawn more to things we imperfect beings craft artfully into images of beauty.  Topiary, formal gardens, the odd piece of sculpture in a yard, these are the things I am finding my gaze resting on.  This lust for beauty might be the reason I am so attached to my iPhone.  By taking pictures and manipulating images I am letting an artistic stream follow a path. 

 

It is not an hourglass where the pursuit of beauty steals sand from my personality.  It is more a shifting of the shoreline on a beach somewhere.