An inverted image of an elephant walking, her reflection in the water
Photo by Laura Lind

Which One Is the Real Elephant?

April Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Reflect”

Laura Lind
1 min readApr 29, 2024

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I like turning reality upside down.

As a kid, I liked to lie down on the floor and pretend the ceiling was the floor. It gave me a whole new perspective on my house, especially as I imagined walking through doorways. The top of the doorway became a low wall I’d step over in my mind as I envisioned going from the dining room to the kitchen.

In a similar way, when I look at reflections, I find it interesting to try to trick my mind into thinking they’re reality. However, what’s reflected in water isn’t always an exact copy of reality; I think it’s fun to see a new image of the world.

On a recent trip to the zoo, I was fascinated with the elephant’s reflection as she ambled by the water. It was a great reflection, but not a mirror image of the elephant and her surroundings. In flipping the photo, I see a more grayscale scene. The more detailed, colorful animal is the “reflection.”

Which version of reality do you prefer?

Thanks to Sandi Parsons for encouraging me to reflect.

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Laura Lind

I write articles about music, pop culture, mindfulness, nature, and animals. I enjoy sharing life lessons, memoir, and photos, too.