Solemn Sunday

I was asked to contribute a picture to the flickr group "Your Personal Sunday" - and this is the one I picked.

In thinking about it, Sunday has meant many different things to me over the years. Always changing. It's never been about single events.

When I was young, it was never a day that I particularly cared for. It was a lonely day, as most of my friends were gone and there wasn't anything particularly interesting happening. Most of the time I couldn't wait for the day to be over with. I wanted to be done with the boredom.

At other times it was a day I looked forward to, church with the family and perhaps a meal out.

When I was studying in France, I was reminded how I felt about Sunday as a kid. In Paris, a lot of the shops are closed, and the streets feel empty and abandoned. I'd walk around admiring the architecture, or just spend hours along the Seine. I don't speak french as well as I'd like, so I'd get the stranger in a strange land feeling, but not in a bad way.

Up until a few months ago, I lived just down the street from the Santa Barbara Mission (which you see here in this photo). Living so close, I'd go to mass, and enjoy it very much. It was almost like being in the Notre Dame Cathedral. You feel more engaged in the ceremony, and the sights and sounds feel more alive and vibrant. You lose a sense of time, and are lost in the reflective moment.

Since becoming infatuated with photography, Sunday's have also meant road trips. Time alone with my camera and nature, lost in the wonder of it all.

Sundays are special, but so is the gift of life. It's a journey filled with surprises.