Ghosts of Future Past

It was the end of March 2019 and outside was still chilly - it felt more like a late autumn or the beginning of winter, rather than beginning of spring...

There I was: snapping photos of my surroundings, with my hands a bit cold,

[grass w/ a tiny twig, a tiny sprout and a fir tree accompanying me on my route]

[the all present plastic, this time in blue]

walking around and wondering when will the bare trees grow entirely tiny sprouts from their twigs,

[I adore seeing catkins]

when will the meadows be entirely green and when will the traffic sound be muffled again by nature...

[catkins in grass]

[it wouldn't be a proper stroll without a sign of civilization]

Never have I ever thought, that would be the last normal spring, as I knew it.

Life around me was, more or less, a constant hurry, as was I, on a hurry: always trying to find the time to fit everything in one day.

[even while going for a run, I was at times in a hurry, not noticing my surroundings in detail]

[first tree blossoms started to appear shyly]

Fast forward one year later (give or take), in a short period of time, I had to realize that trying to catch the next subway, the next suburban train, cooking on a hurry and eating late at night dinner because of super late working office hours (in general), or producing bio garbage almost a 10 liter paper bag daily, was actually not the normal I really wanted, and, even if I did, it wasn't possible anymore.

Thinking back of how was that normal defined before, now it makes no sense. I am aware of all the sacrifices some of us had to do, of all the pain some of us had to endure, of all the loneliness (at some point) we've all felt by now.

Many have struggled and many will struggle to adapt. Perhaps this is how evolution takes place. But ignoring what's in front of us only delays some facts that are obvious.

[Someone defaced a bird sign. It's written in German: "Achtung Bodenbrüter! Liebe Besucher, diese weite Ebene ist Lebensraum von seltenen sowie bedrohten Tieren und Pflanzen. Besonders gefährdet sind am Boden brütende Vögel vom 1. März bis zum 31. August. Bleiben Sie bitte auf den Wegen und halten Sie Ihren Hund an der Leine. Vielen Dank - Ihre Gemeinde" - in English: Attention to ground breeders! Dear visitor, this wide plain is the habitat of rare and endangered animals and plants. Particularly at risk are birds breeding on the ground from March 1st to August 31st. Please stay on the paths and keep your dog on a leash. Many thanks - Your municipality.]

Soon it will be too late to still enjoy whom and what we have around us.

And I am mainly talking about the next person standing next to you or 1,5 (or 2) meters - or hundreds/ thousands of kilometers - away from you, and, last, but not

[spring signs: tree in bloom, Bellis perennis (common daisy), Narcissus (daffodil - I have the smell in my nose), Hyacinth]

least, I am also talking about that tiny bug flying/ walking super close to you, the one you probably haven't noticed.

[a withered tiny plant and a lady beetle]

Because gone are the days when one's action affected only that self person.

I think it was actually never like that, it was just an impression. Our actions always had ripples through time, affecting everything and everyone around us.

With the tiniest change an old normal will slowly or quickly become a new normal. This new normal has to be a better one, has to be humble, selfless, has to matter and has to be shared with the one who loves you and appreciates you back (the ones).

Now it matters more than ever to have genuine moments of appreciation, in general, to be aware of your surroundings - nature, people, buildings... everything.

[first two photos: Armadillidiidae (pill bug/ roly polie); third photo: a moth]

And maybe the only way out is to take each problem that arises, one by one and try finding a solution.

Take everything step by step, one day at a time, until the realization of surviving another day, another week, another month, another year and so on, becomes sudden.

This is called moving on and hopefully, without having to make the same mistakes from the not so distant past.

[spring was arriving]

Where: Landscape Park Hachinger Valley;

When: end of March - beginning of April 2019;

With: Nikon D5300 (40mm f/2.8G, VR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ; ISO 160-400; 1/160s-1/4000s- f2.8-11; 0EV).