9/12 Reflections at a 9/11 Memorial

9/12 Reflections at a 9/11 Memorial

Pepperdine University, Malibu, California

I found myself in Marina Del Rey this morning and got a nice breakfast at Jerrys Deli. Upon looking to head home the freeway was closed. Just for fun I chose to go up Hwy 1 to Malibu canyon. As we approached the turn we saw the annual 9/11 memorial at Pepperdine. Even on the day after the anniversary it carried great weight with us.

It was a somber crowd with a few kids just enjoying the day and the great expanse of healthy well rimmed grass.

What struck us both was the scattering of foreign flags among the American flags. They drew us both in as an expression of the real America that celebrates its populations and respects the dead regardless of origin.

So I made a collage of the photographs largely featuring foreign flags. The World took a loss on 9/11 not just the United States. Those who would amplify and encourage bigotry in the country should take careful note of the facts presented in this humble collage. The world took losses that day, not just America.

Our thanks to all who put that memorial together.

9/11 Anniversary Edition

Ordinarily I keep politics and religion out of the blog. Neither are subjects I prefer, apart from brief forays into news photography, as when I covered a Tea Party rally and a May Day rally. This anniversary is different. This time we have ethnic tensions and an angry populace. Little to no effort to understand the people.Yet look at the efforts we make to understand the cosmos.

This image is a solar telescope. We met the men who work there had a nice talk.

The theme today is Fire To Renewal

Today was a day of deliberate meditation and contemplation for me and my wife. As I have said, my church has no walls nor roof. I simply choose a place of beauty to think, meditate and relax. Today I chose high ground, at Mt Wilson. Due to road closures the best route was through Big Tujunga Canyon, the victim of the deadly Station Fire about a year ago.

The route goes through countless miles of ashed and charcoal forest and then transitions from burnt and bleak to beautiful and regrowing. I like the inadvertent metaphor the day just happened to provide.