A rainy day...
Recently, there have been one or two intense moments life has thrown my way, one or two more than I would like to be honest. There is that initial pitting in my stomach and sincere uncertainty about what the next few months will bring. Life seems a bit gray for my taste. And I've needed a few pick me ups to stay up to par.
It has become apparent that the word business also implies being"busy". Imagine that. I have not spent this much time in front of a computer since I discovered AIM in 7th grade. I have felt 
cross-eyed and tired; but productive, editing photos with the weathered voiced of Ray Lamontagne serenading me hardly makes work feel like work. To be completely self-centered, the one thing I miss is the frequency my "Ashley Photo Days", they have to be wedged into the last few hours of a day. But if I have those few hours, I will drive across state lines in order to have the kind of photo day I think will quench my nomadic, photographers soul. I managed to have one, exquisite day in the early part of October. I am long, LONG, overdue for another. This now sheds piercing light on the ultimate lesson of my 25th year, with such "busy-ness", so comes the bittersweet balance (or imbalance) of life; the tug of war I will forever have with time.
Somehow, I have managed to cling to sanity. The age old doctrine that " laughter is the best medicine" never held more power than now. I have discovered some of the most hysterical and humbling things to laugh over, all of which have left me more aware of my own humanity, and that I am not walking among Gods who do no wrong.
The first fits of laughter came on a November evening. One simple phrase changed everything.
"Damn you autocorrect!". Change that in to a web address and you have
damnyouautocorrect.com. I have never laughed so hard at the simple change one word could have on an entire sentence. My Mother and I were rooted to our seats, caught in that silent, I am going to pee my pants, can't stop laughing kind of hysterics. I have never needed a good 
laugh a better time. I frequent the site weekly now and have forwarded it to various friends and family who appreciate a good old fashioned slip of the iphone keyboard mistake. I advise you to check it out.
Thank you Marcia Macres for the initial introduction of this website. I thought my laugh box was broken forever, I have been proven otherwise.
The next bit of laughter comes from one of a kind childhood/adulthood moments, accompanied by illustrated interpretation. Written by none other then Allie Brosh. A brief synopsis of her work would conclude that she has a true gift for illustrating emotional responses to happiness, pain, anger, rejection about the most day to day happenings in life through Microsoft Paint. I don't know when the last time you tried to depict how a fish almost destroyed your childhood or when you tried to booty dance like Beyonce in cartoon form but, its safe to say my drawings would be unequivocally displayed. the entire blog is shear genius and I wait very impatiently for every new entry.
Thank you Erica Knowles for the much needed hilarious life stories of Allie.
hyperboleandahalf@blogspot.com
The final installment and near repair of my sanity is the extraordinary website 27bslash6.com. I have always appreciated someone with impeccable wit and those "one liners" that I think of three seconds to late; frankly I am a little jealous. To write and draw something that has happened, or a totally honest mistake in a text message is one thing, but to be purposeful with your responses, in the moment and garner a reaction of such shock, especially via email, and KNOW it is funny enough to create an entire website around is...well, BRILLIANT.
Thank you Kateland Kammel for this one.
Alright, now that I feel you have been successfully educated on ways of to laugh harder than ever, I think it is necessary to address that in the most stressful or darkest moments of life, always...always look for the silver lining. That, quite possibly, may be the best advice I have ever received while in the midst of a swirling tornado of displaced emotions. It forces you to look at something so differently than it is presented. And it is comforting to know that as untouchable as a silver lining can be, it has such concrete meaning and can breed a strength unknowable to the person it embodies.
Thank you Dale Sanders for your wonderful and kind advice.
I would have never thought that people being themselves would bring such relief to my unrelenting thoughts, the radiance that one can have just from laughing is a necessity.
I am forever grateful to the friends who helped me laugh. And as for for the relentless secondhand of the clock, time will always be something I have to manage, at times with a little more tact and grace. Its been a long time since I've written something other than a wedding or engagement blog, I intend to throw a little bit of "me" into the next few entries. Until then...
Today's pictures are brought to you from various "Ashley photo days", taken with the sincere intention of finding something to smile about...
cross-eyed and tired; but productive, editing photos with the weathered voiced of Ray Lamontagne serenading me hardly makes work feel like work. To be completely self-centered, the one thing I miss is the frequency my "Ashley Photo Days", they have to be wedged into the last few hours of a day. But if I have those few hours, I will drive across state lines in order to have the kind of photo day I think will quench my nomadic, photographers soul. I managed to have one, exquisite day in the early part of October. I am long, LONG, overdue for another. This now sheds piercing light on the ultimate lesson of my 25th year, with such "busy-ness", so comes the bittersweet balance (or imbalance) of life; the tug of war I will forever have with time.
Somehow, I have managed to cling to sanity. The age old doctrine that " laughter is the best medicine" never held more power than now. I have discovered some of the most hysterical and humbling things to laugh over, all of which have left me more aware of my own humanity, and that I am not walking among Gods who do no wrong.
The first fits of laughter came on a November evening. One simple phrase changed everything.
"Damn you autocorrect!". Change that in to a web address and you have
damnyouautocorrect.com. I have never laughed so hard at the simple change one word could have on an entire sentence. My Mother and I were rooted to our seats, caught in that silent, I am going to pee my pants, can't stop laughing kind of hysterics. I have never needed a good 
laugh a better time. I frequent the site weekly now and have forwarded it to various friends and family who appreciate a good old fashioned slip of the iphone keyboard mistake. I advise you to check it out.
Thank you Marcia Macres for the initial introduction of this website. I thought my laugh box was broken forever, I have been proven otherwise.
The next bit of laughter comes from one of a kind childhood/adulthood moments, accompanied by illustrated interpretation. Written by none other then Allie Brosh. A brief synopsis of her work would conclude that she has a true gift for illustrating emotional responses to happiness, pain, anger, rejection about the most day to day happenings in life through Microsoft Paint. I don't know when the last time you tried to depict how a fish almost destroyed your childhood or when you tried to booty dance like Beyonce in cartoon form but, its safe to say my drawings would be unequivocally displayed. the entire blog is shear genius and I wait very impatiently for every new entry.
Thank you Erica Knowles for the much needed hilarious life stories of Allie.
hyperboleandahalf@blogspot.com
The final installment and near repair of my sanity is the extraordinary website 27bslash6.com. I have always appreciated someone with impeccable wit and those "one liners" that I think of three seconds to late; frankly I am a little jealous. To write and draw something that has happened, or a totally honest mistake in a text message is one thing, but to be purposeful with your responses, in the moment and garner a reaction of such shock, especially via email, and KNOW it is funny enough to create an entire website around is...well, BRILLIANT.
Thank you Kateland Kammel for this one.
Alright, now that I feel you have been successfully educated on ways of to laugh harder than ever, I think it is necessary to address that in the most stressful or darkest moments of life, always...always look for the silver lining. That, quite possibly, may be the best advice I have ever received while in the midst of a swirling tornado of displaced emotions. It forces you to look at something so differently than it is presented. And it is comforting to know that as untouchable as a silver lining can be, it has such concrete meaning and can breed a strength unknowable to the person it embodies.
Thank you Dale Sanders for your wonderful and kind advice.
I would have never thought that people being themselves would bring such relief to my unrelenting thoughts, the radiance that one can have just from laughing is a necessity.
I am forever grateful to the friends who helped me laugh. And as for for the relentless secondhand of the clock, time will always be something I have to manage, at times with a little more tact and grace. Its been a long time since I've written something other than a wedding or engagement blog, I intend to throw a little bit of "me" into the next few entries. Until then...
Today's pictures are brought to you from various "Ashley photo days", taken with the sincere intention of finding something to smile about...
All of these pictures are great. I loved each one, and the layout, and this whole post. You're amazing Ashley! Encouragement from Columbus!
ReplyDeleteLove it ash
ReplyDelete:) You make me smile. You are one of the most talented people I know. I can't wait to check out all the posts!
ReplyDelete