Thursday

This morning was the start of the 'snowicane.'
By this afternoon, the rooftops of midtown were covered with snow. I could barely see the Empire State Building through my window.
It was, as it turned out, a rather tumultuous day at work; there were controversies in which I was implicated. Several times I looked out the window, and as much as I enjoyed the sight of the snow, I found that it didn't completely quiet the voices in my head, the kinds of voices on which I fixate almost daily as I sit down in front of a computer terminal and basically sift through the different messages -- both work and non-work related -- that continuously pour across the screen; at times it's frankly overwhelming, and the temptation to immediately respond -- to add my own voice to the mix, as if to shout down the competition, to demand a moment of silence where it couldn't possibly exist -- is too much to reason away. These are the small and vindictive battles that make my life seem exciting for a second or two in contrast to the large swaths of tedium that define so much of the rest of it. In the end, while I'm not sure this is a 'healthy' or 'logical' response, I'm not sure it's 'unhealthy' or 'illogical' either; the key, I suppose, like so much else -- to resort to a cliche -- is to find a 'balance.'
At the end of the day, I looked down and regretted my decision to wear boat shoes.
The sidewalks in midtown weren't too bad, though.
Whereas in Washington Heights -- due to our extreme northern latitude -- the streets were covered in slush and snow.
It was hard work shoveling the snow at the house -- there was also an inch or so of ice on the sidewalk, where ppl had been walking -- but it felt good to do something physically exhausting, and made me wish that I didn't spend so many hours of my day in front of a computer, both screaming and getting screamed at by people (in some cases) or simply always working through the same medium -- the written word -- to express myself, to be understood/misunderstood.
When I was done I admired the glistening trees, which spoke to me in a voice unlike any that I ever hear 'online.'
It was a voice I hoped to remember, given that for the foreseeable future, I have no choice but to spend a large percentage of my life in the virtual reality in which I must work to make a living.
But the night offered the promise of peace, and for that I was grateful.

Comments

[Teezy]

Hey Matthew-

I think that small and vindictive is always kind of fun.

Unfortunately, it seems that whenever I succumb to the temptation it results in the situation escalating instead of being resolved. Why can't people just accept my vengeful behavior with a smile on their face?? :D

It's snowy here in Santa Fe also, so I have decided to make snow ice cream this weekend, relax, and forget about work if only for a couple of days—I hope that you can too.

BTW—regarding the orchid post and your interest in increasing the depth of field in the photo. You probably already know this, but if you decrease the aperture (larger f stop # = smaller aperture) and increase the exposure (you may need a tripod) you will increase the DOF.

Have a great weekend.

[Matthew Gallaway]

Thanks for the advice, Teezy. Have a great weekend and enjoy the snow (and ice cream).