Photo-of-the-Week #199 - Beauty In The Macro World - Rain Drops On Roses, Anywhere, Any Time

Something a bit different this week for the photo-of-the-week. Well, no, these are not raindrops on roses. They are raindrops on grass blades. It seems, in our busy and complicated world, we so often bypass much of the beauty and peace provided by nature. We are too busy rushing to work, to go shopping, to the kids' school events and athletic activities and so many other activities involving family, friends and others who place demands on our lives that we miss some of the most beautiful and, often, meaningful things all around us.

I titled this photo-of-the-week "Beauty in the Macro World - Rain Drops on Roses" because I took this photo using the macro lens on my digital camera. For the few who may not know what the macro lens is or does, I'll give you my layman's definition. It's a lens or a lens setting that is actually more like a magnifying glass. It actually has a very small magnification factor and sometimes no magnification factor at all. However, it allows one to take very sharp close-up images of tiny objects.

I also said in my title this week that this photo is anywhere and at any time. By that I mean just that. One can take macro photos anywhere and any time, the specific location and time is not readily identifiable by the photo itself. Actually, I took this photo, lying on my stomach (getting a little wet, I might add, but it was worth it) on the brick walk in front of my ranch house (that I left the end of October 2008) of blades of grass with droplets of water still clinging to them. The rain had just stopped and the sun had come out.

Friend, we are looking at something so simple and basic in the photo and yet, in my eye, startlingly beautiful. Sorry it's not roses. I haven't caught that photo, yet. And, of course, the reference is from the lyrics of the song, "My Favorite Things" from the award winning Broadway musical and movie, "The Sound of Music." But, in our fast paced world, how often do you stop and look at the simple beauty of your life and all of the nature around you. Or, do you, grumble and complain about the rainy day, the traffic problems it will cause, having to wear rain gear, your hair getting frizzy and being stressed by getting to work and home late due to the weather delays and all the other jerks on the road who can't drive in rain.

Hey! I know! I was one of those people who complained about that and so many other things. But, looking at the beauty of these droplets of water through a macro lens will hopefully get your attention. Yes! Life throws inconveniences at us and may throw us off schedule. But, take a few moments to stop and smell the roses. Look at the simple beauty in some droplets of water on green blades of grass. You'll live longer and you're life will be so much better.