love is half like a shark...

sharks never stop moving. as far as i know, they have only one concern, the next tasty morsel.

theoretically, if it's good love, you only need one tasty morsel. however, one thing is certain: you gotta keep swimming.

i tried gracefully sauntering through the wading pool and even testing the waters with my delicately pedicured toe nails, all in an effort to pace myself. if i'm going to catch myself a bull shark in shallow water, i need to behave. but, do i want to live in the wading pool?

let me be blunt: fuck that. i want a great white.

i want the wide open water of danger and possibility. i want deep water that i can plunge into head first and come up sputtering and grasping for an edge that isn't there. i'm a woman who knows the pay off of a decent sized risk, who is done denying and defying her nature.

life is a verb. love is a verb. when i find the right shark, i'll tap his fin and swim with him. i'm never going to "catch" him. besides, i'm an equal force to be reckoned with who doesn't want to be "caught" either.

just keep swimming and head for the uncharted territory.

horse wrangling stranger

IMG_7049, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

i was on highway one, headed for the confederate bridge to leave PEI when out of the corner of my eye, i caught galloping horses. as is my habit with my camera in reach, i hit the brakes, whipped a u-turn and drove back to investigate.

click the pic for a series on the horses. :)

statue strangers

IMG_8325, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

at the chicago art institute, i found the people as fascinating as the fabulous art.

sly elf stranger...

IMG_1803, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

i shot breakfast with santa for a friend, and of course, the bounty of giggling kid shots was over the top. they were a great group.

a second before i shot this, the face painter was blocking us. this little girl was struggling to watch me and still not move a muscle as her cheek was painted. just as the painter moved, i shot this and a second later my little friend here was giggling and blushing.

love american style, stranger...

love american style, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

a couple that i spotted on the pier in portland, maine.

in this particular moment there is so much joy; it makes me happy that they are happy. :)

zenfest stranger...

IMG_8481, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

one hour into learning to spin, the girl teaching me asked, "so, you wanna do it tonight?"

"ugh, did you just see me hit myself in the head with my balls?" (tennis balls in tube socks, don't be crass now.)

i thought... sure, let's light the fuckers and see how i do.

i smiled sweetly and said, "thanks, but no thanks."

i don't remember seeing this guy all day.

stranger, thrill ride?

thrill ride, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

what do you think he was thinking? goodness, he looks so bored to me. :)

we all suffer...

i recently had a conversation that shut me down. that's not an easy task, i assure you.

it got me thinking about the baggage we carry and the four noble truths. in brief, these are the four noble truths: life means suffering; the origin of suffering is attachment; cessation of suffering is attainable; and there is a path to the cessation of suffering.

what i take away? we all suffer. in being mindful of that, i try to balance the wisdom of that knowledge and cultivate compassion for all sentient beings. so, if a driver cuts me off on the highway, instead of flipping the bird, i try instead to consider that maybe that person is having a rough morning, also.

this is NOT easy.

there is a lot of noise in my head, and i'm trying to keep what is going on in my life straight. people rarely do what i want them to, and i don't understand why i keep getting hurt.

nonetheless, we all suffer. you suffer. i suffer. if i'm told that i have no idea how badly someone has been hurt, they're right. but, i know that they have; i will listen and i will be there.

back to this conversation. i wanted to shout out all the horrible things that have happened to me and all the awful things that have been said to me. i wanted to scream, what about me?

what about me? yes, i've been wronged and i have wronged. but, i will not give up. there is love in my life and there is joy. i refuse to be held back from the possibilities by the pain of my past. there is more to me than that. there are great joys and accomplishments in my past, as well. more importantly, there is more joy and love in my heart for today and tomorrow.

so yes, we all suffer and when you are suffering, i will be here. 

waiting for a stranger

the wait, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

shot this late night at the festival as the crowds were dwindling.

did you ever see the movie, Carny? i watched that movie soooo many times. it had Jodie Foster and Gary Busey. i had the biggest crush on his character.

Sumaiya at Naughti Gras 2010

IMG_9841 copy, originally uploaded by MisfitHue.

it is always a treat to see Sumaiya dance...