Came across a Quote for the Day, today that used a Christian Holy Bible verse.
“…he went out, not knowing whither he went…”, The Letter to the Hebrews (Gotta love that King Jim English)-see ps below.
Tells the story of a dude in Mesopotamia that went out one morning and, well, just kept going.
Intrigued me, as I use a highly stylised version of Tolkien’s Aragorn poem,
“Not all those who wander are lost;” as a blog byline.
Seems to me that no matter how well I can plan a day out with the birds, in the end so many times I don’t know what I am going to find.
Tolkien, “A light from the shadows shall spring”
Truth be told, there is a bit of the thrill of the chase. An acceptance that I am being invited into the lives of fascinating creatures. The only thing I can be sure of is that the birds will have their lives to live and my small investigative muse- Lyric Poetry?- will have to welcome what is on offer.
Occasionally on the track armed with camera and gear a passerby will ask, (usually innocently) “What are you doing?’ or more pointedly, “So, what are you photographing?” I’ve mentioned some of my usual responses before, but, really the answer is, “I’m waiting to see what the birds are doing!”
How else do you explain a sense of wonder?
So I bustle through the morning necessaries, getting ready to ‘Go out, not knowing wither I go!”, expectantly looking forward to a new opportunity that is bigger than my vision of the world, and so much more exciting.
I trust that 2021 brings the most exciting visual opportunities to your lens.
PS: The original story in the Hebrew text says in the rather lyrical, “Lech Lecha”—can be roughly translated as “Go out to Yourself” as in an “internal odessey”
Now you know the extent of my ancient text knowledge 😉
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 
That is exactly the way it is most days! One never knows what we will see on the day, sometimes very little, and I am sure Abram had days like that as he ventured he knew not where. But still he went and found his purpose!
And yes, here is to some great opportunities in the coming year as we continue our own odyssey.
(by the way it is verse 8 not 9)!
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Ha!,Thanks for that.
Just proves that my checking of other’s quotes leaves a lot to be desired.
i must go back and check the ps meaning too.
Seeya
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The quote also reminds me of a line in the Talking Heads song “The Lady Don’t Mind” in which David Byrne sings “I’m not lost, but I don’t know where I am”. I quote it regularly to my Wife, when she asks me where I think I’m going. Your observation about going out and not knowing what you’ll find is so true with birds. Many days I see almost nothing.
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Ha, I didn’t think of that one. sometimes I feel like Skyhooks, “I’ve got the right day, but I’ve got the wrong week”
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Ha Rodger, sometimes I also use not lost, just Geographically Embarassed. 🙂
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I love the athletic Currawong. It is indeed just a case of going out there to see what the birds are doing, and if they are prepared to let me watch them doing it. Long may they and we continue!
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Hello Eleanor, it was picking tiny little grubs off the leaves and slowly one leg over the other moved down the vine.
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Interesting, how some of us have this one thing in common, although each one in his own way, when we go out with our eyes wide open. My quote (in About on Flickr) is “I cannot choose the best. The best chooses me.”.
Mine is from Rabindranath Tagore. I am amazed by the time span of our quotes: from Old Testament to Talking Heads!
I’m sharing your trust for all of us this, allegedly, new year.
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Ha!. G,day Adam, I didn’t intend to cover the world of philosphy in one sentence. Just funny that the quote turned up in another context, and I thought. Yeah! That is what its like.
A quote from a photographer, – Harold Feinstein— “You don’t look for pictures. Your pictures are looking for you,” sounds a like it was taken from Tagore if at least in spirit.
Keep takin’ pictures. We do
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Thanks David for your entertaining narrative, and Abrams mission fits well into your blog title, as it does for most of us birders going out and not knowing what we will find. I love your Grey Currawong, we seem not to see them here. It is always a good shot when they are doing something different other than just perching. Tolkien, C S Lewis and some other Christian intellectuals use to meet and discuss relevant issues, from which each wrote their amazing books which are studied by university students with various interpretations. The faith aspect of Abraham is an interesting driving force that led him to leave his home town and parents to wander to the unknown land. The same aspect that many have latched onto throughout history, best described in Hebrews 11:1 is what affects how we live and understand the world we live in. In these uncertain times, and as this year is starting to look like last year for us here in Sydney, we need like Abraham to have the peace and security of belief in a promised land with cities not made by human hands and plagues and death cease to exist. Enjoy your week my friend !
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Good morning Ashley,
Raining here today, (4th day in a row). So not only am I not knowing where I’m going, I’m simply Not going!
One para I deliberately left out in the blog, but it does hold relevance; is that the birds don’t rely on me being there to go through their daily acts. That I find to be humbling beyond words. They don’t charge admission, they don’t look for audience, and they don’t run a marketing programme.
From the Tao Te Ching, “To the mind that is still,” Lao Tzu said, “the whole universe surrenders.”
2021 for Sydney is certainy looking dire. Hats of the the leaders as they try to find the sources and ways to contain the ugly thing.
I keep saying that “We are only just One Test away from it breaking out again”.
Remain
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