Joy Wins

We made the trip out to our favorite orchard to pick some apples, scour the pumpkin patch, get lost in a corn maze, and bring home some donuts and pie. It’s been a few years since we were here, and the difference was felt immediately. Commercialized. There was a new boutique, but no corn maze. There was a new outdoor seating area, but it was gated off. We didn’t want to pay the admission fee. It wasn’t just about the money. It was about how it felt to be there now. One line after another to participate in something that felt prepackaged. The stark contrast to how it used to feel. We waited in line for our bakery goods and left. 

On the drive back, I stopped to photograph this little house again. I got a few images on the way in, there is something about abandoned buildings that I find interesting. This time, I wanted to get a few images using a prism. I had something in mind to try, but it didn’t work as I hoped. What I did like most was the way the lines matched up with the house and the clouds.

Going through my collection of old images, it was the lines again that caught my attention, thinking they might match up.

But it’s not just the lines. It’s also an emotional tone. It’s a way to capture the mixed emotion, a fond memory with the current reality. The sadness of experiencing unwanted change mixed with the gratitude felt for getting to experience something beautiful while it lasted. I’m talking about a trip to an apple orchard, but I am also expressing a felt experience of parenting. How it feels sometimes to watch your children grow and change. I am also expressing a felt experience that comes with significant changes, like divorce, within a family. 

Insight

With images strong in emotional tone, I like to send them over to Insight and see if a similar tone is reflected back. 

The colors are bright and sunny. And it also looks like a dream or a memory. I see joy and togetherness. While I’m currently holding the sadness and the joy, I love that in what I see reflected back … joy wins.