Residuum: The Legacy That Outlives Us
“The two most engaging powers of a photograph are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.” - William Thackeray
This image is part of a triptych. In case you're still wondering what a triptych is, allow me to explain. Historically, it is a type of art composed of three related pieces, traditionally panel paintings, which were hinged together such that they could fold or be allowed to stand upright on their own, often for use at the altars of churches in the Middle Ages. The middle panel was usually the largest, although today that's not necessarily the case.
A modern triptych can mean anything composed of three parts, but in my case, it's three photographs that are related to each other and that together tell a story. The first part of this triptych is an image I called Vertigo. Here, then is photograph number two of my first triptych, as I shared in my post from January 22, 2022...
Many of us dream of downsizing. We like the idea of getting rid of some of the extra stuff we’ve accumulated that seems to be owning us instead of us owning it. But leaving things behind is often very difficult. We value our stuff; in many ways, we think it represents our lives. But does it really?
If you think about it, the legacy we leave behind is maybe our most important possession. What we hope our closest family, friends, and colleagues will say about us at our own memorial reflects our most foundational values but also often betrays our deepest regrets. Will we be remembered for the rich relationships we nurtured, the abundant value we brought to their lives, and the joy and happiness we freely shared? Or will our eulogy be far more shallow?
We can all decide to change our legacy for the better, today, right now. No matter what we’ve already done that violated our bedrock principles is over with and cannot be undone. What is past is past. But the future begins now and we can choose, from this moment forward, to do that which does build relationships, which does add value, and which does bring joy. That choice is ours to make.
Clicking on the image will open it in full screen
‘Residuum,’ the interesting things left behind during a lovely sunset evening on the sandy eastern shore of Rehoboth Bay.
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