It’s been only 5 months since I wrote about standing on top of a 10 foot frozen wave of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Lake Superior, Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Seems like a lifetime ago. I couldn’t be further from that wave, both literally and figuratively speaking. As I stood on the crest of that frozen wave, in utter silence with no one in sight for miles, I reflected on the human spirit in this remote part of the world. The sun was setting and I was fearful of slipping into a crevice but yet drawn to the glow of the setting sun – feeling hopeful for the future.
We left Jaipur, India yesterday, with the temperatures nearing the 100 mark and the humidity level the same. But it seemed hotter because everything here in India seems intensified on every level. We’ve been on the road for close to 2 months now and have traversed a variety of climates, cultures, joys and heartbreaks. It’s been easy, hard and everything in between.
In creating this documentary “Opening Our Eyes” we have challenged ourselves in every way we know how. Just shooting a documentary with an HDSLR system, on a slim budget and with a two-person crew is a feat in itself. But this documentary is taking us around the world and putting us in touch with the less fortunate of our planet. It’s humbling, heartbreaking, exhausting, yet somehow a boost to my inner spirit – that same spirit I wrote about back in February when isolated and alone on top of that 10 ft. frozen wave.
How I crave those frigid temperatures and the utter silence of tranquility. Space is a luxury in India with billions of people competing for it. Such an intriguing culture but one that is beyond demanding of all that a body and soul has to give. I draw on my inner strength and my people that came before me who taught me well about struggles and endurance as well as compassion for those who are less fortunate.
My eyes have been opened these past two months in so many ways. To experience and see the extremes of the human condition across the globe has broadened my perspective and put things into balance. What seemed so important just a few months ago, seems so trivial today.
And so it goes as we complete this journey in a few months time. Off to another climate and culture with our eyes opening wider as we go along.
