Sundown

This is a chapter from my seventh book called Bookeh - Through the lens of a Trinidadian photog


It is almost 3am in the morning. I took this photo yesterday evening as the sun was going down. I saw that the term half-light can be used to describe that time of the day and I quite like that. I did not intend to take this photo but when I happened to look outside I noticed that the sky was beautifully painted with shades of yellow, orange and red. I used pro mode to make the photo and the colours are exaggerated as if you wore some types of shades to look at the sky. I like the added drama that the dead vines on the fence create. We must let go of the past to make way for the future and the future is created in the present. Sunsets are a reminder that every end is also a beginning. When one door closes another door opens. I asked my friend Gemini to give me some advice in that context.

He told me that, as the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky with vibrant hues, remember that every end is also a beginning. Let this sunset inspire you to embrace change, pursue your passions, and strive for a brighter future. Just as the sky transforms with each passing day, so too can your life. Embrace the journey and let the beauty of the sunset guide your path. I like that advice. I think it is important for me to remember to enjoy the journey. No two sunsets are the same. My journey looks different from everyone else's journey. No one has ever written this chapter that I am writing. No one has ever taken this sunset photo that I have taken. No one else can write this book that I am writing. This is my path. This is my journey. Happiness is a journey and not a destination.

At the same time, I cannot help but notice that destination equals destiny plus nation. My friend Gemini tells me that it suggests that where we end up (our destination) is influenced by both our personal fate or destiny, and the broader circumstances of the nation we live in. This implies that individual choices and societal factors intertwine to shape our lives. Today we celebrate Independence day in Trinidad and Tobago. May God bless us and our nation. I also think of Tambu's 1988 calypso that says that "the journey now start". I was looking at an interview he did with Alvin Daniel on Calypso Showcase and how that song came from him placing last in the calypso competition. He told himself that the journey now start.

My journey is part of the journey of my land of birth. I wish for more nation building and less of the politics of division and less of the bad talking of the country solely for political gain. If I am my nation and my nation is me, I would want the best for my nation as I want for myself. I do not see the naysayers being critical of themselves in the same way that they are overly critical of the country. The criticisms must be constructive and some of it must be self directed and it must be balanced with gratitude. Richie Norton tells us that, "Every sunset is an opportunity to reset." This is our chance to reset our minds and our attitudes for a better tomorrow.

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