Happy Birthday Andrew

Of optimism, pessimism and opportunity

So, where are we?

The picture was taken because the late morning sun was playing so nicely with our still-new magnolia tree.  These are the flower and leaf buds that will remain within their shells through Winter, only appearing once the days re-lengthen and warm in Spring.  The furry shell covering the flower bud changes colour as Spring arrives.  Then the swelling flower bursts the shell and the flower bud grows and opens.

Many facets of the garden are like that; as the dark and cold of Winter quickly approach, optimism abounds in the setting of buds, planting of bulbs, clearing of debris - all in preparation for the renewal of Spring.  The familiar cold and dread of Winter is ignored, for a while at least, to focus on the new growth and beauty assumed to follow.  The nature of optimism is to look beyond the immediate pain or problem to what may be beyond.

Hmmm.  Shades of political will and financial crisis there; however, that is neither the intent nor the topic.  As I grabbed the camera to try to capture a bit of the magical sunshine in early November, I realized that I had taken an opportunity to do something positive, to take an action, to capture a moment.  In fact, I had seen the opportunity the day before and missed it as the sun moved on its westerly arc and the moment passed.  The next morning I was better prepared, ready under the naive assumption that the sun would re-appear and conditions would again present the opportunity.  Optimism, naivety.

Of course, the other option was always available: ignore, or refuse to see, the opportunity; allow the moment to pass either unobserved or as an omen of the approaching darkness; stay in the current track without looking around.  That is, perhaps the pessimism of momentum - that which is remains so.  But no, that is not the case.

Time to get off the butt.