Ziggy Wisdom

I remember an old Ziggy comic, in which round-headed Ziggy sits with his dog on a cliff’s edge admiring the sunset.  He remarks to his dog, “He does great work, doesn’t he?”  It’s a simple homage to a greater power, and the logic (or belief) behind it can be applied to most anything in life.  I remember and come back to that Ziggy wisdom occasionally because of its simplistic depth…an elementary understanding of something complicated, which to me makes perfect sense.

Now in Berlin, I am reenacting that Ziggy moment almost every night.  Our view of the horizon has brought unbelieveable sunsets into our life, which make for interesting Futter für die Seele. (Food for the Soul)

Of course I’m not saying a round-headed comic character is a prophet in my crusade for truth, but the cartoon’s sentiment frames a normal occurrence in an extraordinary way.  Instead of ignoring the sunset, I welcome its unique dynamism.  The moisture in the air may shift, and the cloud formations may come or go, making the sky an ever curiouser shade of raspberry, amber or simply blue…a pure, but gentle blue.

These masterpieces are not just light refracted through particles in the air.  In my human experience I believe them to have intrinsic beauty, and extrinsic brilliance.  And when compounded by my religious belief in a higher power, the occurrence becomes even more than just a masterpiece–rather it’s an experience.

Like a Bob Ross painting…but real

While in college I developed film and sold cameras to pay for my education.  In such a job a person sees thousands of images in a few hours, some good but most bad.  And by good or bad I mean the lighting, framing, subject, etc were a bit lacking.

One day I had the privilege of developing a set of 8×10 images taken by a professional photographer from Hawaii.  He had captured stunning sunrise/sunset pictures overlooking lagoons, volcanoes, and most any amazing spot on an island a person could think of.  His images were fairly straight-forward, with rich colors and captivating depth.

When he came to pick up his photos, I asked if he had any advice for a young photo enthusiast like myself.

“You just have to show up,” he said. “You can buy the most expensive cameras in the world, but the most important thing is just being there at the right moment.”

It’s as simple as that…just show up.  And I’ll add:  a person needs to be willing to see what’s around them.  Fortunately these Berlin sky-scapes are always in my view.  The light is either streaming through our windows, or the colors are showering our terrace.

Ziggy wisdom taught me to appreciate a good thing when I see it, and give thanks.  I hope such things will bring as much pause for my son when he gets older.  By then I’ll be a round-headed old man myself…and he can write about “Daddy wisdom.”

I look forward to that, and enjoying future sky-scapes with the next generation.  And if the masterpieces in the sky keep impressing like they have the last few weeks in Berlin, we’ll have plenty of material to enjoy.

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