Wonder in Action.

Moments to Notice and People to Meet.

What are these moments? Who are these people?

I don’t know. Any of them. Some aren’t even people. All reside in places I’ve lived or visited. I’ll likely never see them again, but still, I see them vividly. They caught my attention for a moment, because they just happened to be living that moment with me.

These People-To-Meet would surely be stunned to know that just by being, they enthralled, charmed, fascinated, delighted, inspired a stranger. Chatting with a friend, hopping on a bicycle, navigating a river at dusk, running to greet Grandpa after school.

I noticed. I wanted to know more. I wanted to remember.

So I took a photo. Lots of photos.

I can’t help it. The photo thing. It may not be fake news that somewhere in my house there are a dozen ginormous storage tubs overflowing with photos. From one holiday.

There are lots of images of ordinary-but-extraordinary moments, too.

A sundressed toddler reaching out to touch droplets from a feisty fountain’s waterworks.

Click.

A spectacled boy and his bulldog, who both resemble Harry Potter.

Click.

A howler monkey staring down from his tree-top perch. A teenager enthralled by the rising harvest moon. A cockatoo beaking (and breaking) into a Gucci bag.

Click click click.

This photo thing has been driving my daughters and sons crazy for, um, ever. “Stop taking pictures of other people’s kids, Mom. It’s creepy.” It almost resulted in divorce on my thirteenth anniversary. “Time for a D-I-G-I-T-A-L camera, am I clear, dear?”

I surrendered to a digital camera. Then smartphone(s) with the camera of the month. So now that my images aren’t transformed to gloss or matte, I fear my corner of The Cloud is pretty heavily saturated with photos of people whose stories I’ve only imagined.

Because Wonder in Action is everywhere I look.

Just this morning in a senior rehab center, I hurried down a hall filled with women in wheelchairs who were grooving to the big band voice of Bobby Darin. A lady with tight silver curls caught my eye. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be tango-ing on the seat of her chair, while the others were doing the twist. In that moment, I imagined this young, vibrant woman years ago– dark curls bouncing across her shoulders, twirling in her lover’s arms.

I wished I’d had my camera. I wish I knew her story.

Now that smartphones take better photos than the heavy camera and lens I still carry over my shoulder, there simply isn’t enough time to view the thousands of striking photos shared online each day. I’m amazed to see kids swipe through social media feeds like they’re swiftly shooing flies. What wonder-filled moments do they miss?

Yes. We all need to be more present. To look up from our phones. To think other rather than self(ie). To see, hear, taste, touch, feel, live the moment. Yet, again and again, my camera has allowed me to re-experience a stunning moment, when my notice-ometer was on high alert.

Take a look at these characters and scenes that have been tattooed on my mind – in memory and imagination - by a camera and lens, on wellnessmultiplied’s weekend FB and Instagram posts. They may remind you of someone. Or they just might make you smile.

Wonder in Action.

Moment realized.

This is gonna be fun!