I've officially passed the 100 day mark! I do feel a little sense of accomplishment, and i'm excited for what the rest of the year brings. Lately, it's been hard for me to not be going, going, going 110% of the time like I usually do...However, without full-time work i've had a chance to do a lot of things I wouldn't be doing otherwise...My job used to be telling other people's stories, but 365 Days of Mt. Diablo has given me a chance to write my own stories.
Hopefully, some time soon, i'll find a way to work myself rich. lol. Until then, i'm enjoying my life and the opportunity to really appreciate the natural riches of this world, like our mountain.
This photography project has also taught me that Mt. Diablo has many different dimensions to it. It's more than just a "mountain". It's a beacon for the East Bay. It has different sides and depth. The sun, and the landscape give the mountain different colors. And in a way, the mountain is just like us. Or rather, we are like the mountain...we come in different shapes and sizes, and we also have different sides. I used to think that what we do for a living defined who we are as a person...now I've realized that it's not our accomplishments that make us who we are. It is something deep inside us, a constant change of character, that makes us who we are...
One person comes to mind that has shown me that it's not our accomplishments that define us...My husband's grandpa is a US Olympic athlete. He won gold for pole vaulting and also set several records. Through the years, he's also been a poet. He writes poetry about everything from family- to love- to growing old.
A while back I asked him to write a poem about the mountain- the end result again reminding me of how complex we can be:
MOUNT DIABLO
A peak where tree branches reach into
the blue sky
Beneath a canopy of secret passages
for some to hide
A view of land and water unequaled throughout
the land
Occasionally peeking from within the
mist and if lucky like a winter's kiss
A blanket of snow on the summit top
A name too inappropriate for such a
wondrous sight
Magnificent and picturesque is this
mountain with it's Beacon Light
