I saw this image on Facebook and it started me thinking about photography.

From the source and the tagline I assumed the photo was taken to document an event. Normally I am not too interested in events unless I, or someone close to me is participating. But this photo caught and held my attention. As I gazed at it, I sensed something much more than a snapshot in time. I felt the beauty of the moment and my mind began to wander. I heard the voice in my head say “a picture is worth a thousand words … write about that.”

There was no accompanying message. No “say this ….” so I started with Google and Wikipedia. “The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. It also aptly characterizes one of the main goals of visualization, namely making it possible to absorb large amounts of data quickly.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_picture_is_worth_a_thousand_words

Okay, it seemed self-evident and not very exciting so what would I write? There had to be more to it. I let my thoughts roam free. Why do we communicate? Why did we make up words? Why are we so doggedly determined to create the next technology that will help humanity expand its ability to convey ideas? And that led to … Why are we forced to ‘learn’ what we ‘learn’ (or memorize) in school?

Before formal schools existed the women schooled little girls in women’s work and the men schooled little boys in men’s work. And then came formal schools where the privileged were taught to read, write and calculate. These skills allowed children to explore and invent. Their exploration and inventions lead to mechanization of much of the work done by men and women and little boys and girls were instead sent to school where they were taught theories developed by others ‘more educated.’ Parents were given tools to help with their work and children were given tools — words, numbers, formulae, systems and theories — to assist them in ‘thinking’.

Improving children’s ability to ‘think’ became the holy grail of formal education. The measure of success was how well children could think for themselves. How well could they take the tools they had been so painstakingly taught and apply them to solving a problem. Perhaps the underlying hope was that the brightest and best could be taught to solve the problems of the world and everybody could live a happier life.

Several years ago I would have left it at that. Pictures help to convey ideas and one of the main goals of visualization is to absorb large amounts of data quickly. Now I see it very differently. Graphs and illustrations might simply help to convey ideas but photographs — now that’s a different story. For me, photographs are a means of conveying feelings not ideas and the main goal of visualization is getting in touch with feelings which are a conduit to all that is.

Imagine if children were allowed more time to explore beauty and less time learning to think and convey ideas. What if we showered them with beautiful pictures, music and art? What if we gave them the time to feel and to express in whatever way they chose? What if we encouraged their minds to wander instead of insisting they pay attention?

In the last few years I have begun to take photographs. I didn’t used to do this. We had a camera and usually remembered to take a few photos of birthday celebrations and family gatherings because that was what you were ‘supposed to do’, but I wasn’t interested in scrap booking and what few photos we did have languished in boxes on shelves. And now I take photos. My phone is usually handy and the battery is charged so when the inclination hits it is much easier than when I had to find the camera in a drawer somewhere but the truth is I now have the desire where I once did not.

I used to be so wrapped up in using my mind to try and figure everything out … what should I do next? What would be the best way to do it? Will it get me anywhere? How am I going to get them to cooperate? Am I doing the right thing? and yada yada yada. My mind is quieter now. I spend less time in thought and more time feeling. This is why I now take photos. I am seeing more and feeling more and am moved to capture the beauty of my feelings.

The beauty I capture and revisit in photos is like an accelerant. It speeds up my journey and enhances my ability to see farther. There are no words to adequately describe those beauty-full feelings captured by my camera but they can be remembered and felt again by looking at the photograph.

Something similar happens when you disengage from your thoughts and open a channel to your higher self. You see things you had forgotten and you can feel the beauty of heaven — on earth.

So what will I write? Here is my answer to the question “Why is a picture worth a thousand words?”

You cannot describe,
What you’re feeling inside,
When something you see,
Creates beauty you feel,
And you just can’t describe it … with words.

The feeling develops,
And time doesn’t matter,
You want it to last,
This feeling you feel,
It’s a beauty-full feeling and you just can’t describe it … with words.

It just feels so good,
You want to prolong it,
And share it with others,
So they too can feel,
This feeling of beauty you just can’t describe … with words.

Up comes your camera,
You focus and click,
It’s captured forever,
Yours to revisit and help you remember,
The beauty-full feelings you just can’t describe … with words.