#Abiquiu

[adventurealldays]

[beyondtheadobe]

[homeisaplaceinthehills]

Georgia O’Keeffe

Yousuf Karsh, 1956

“I decided to photograph her as another friend had described her: ‘Georgia, her pure profile calm, clear; her sleek black hair drawn swiftly back into a tight knot at the nape of her neck; the strong white hands, touching and lifting everything, even the boiled eggs, as if they were living things - sensitive slow-moving hands, coming out of the black and white, always this black and white.’  This portrait hangs in her Abiquiu home, now a museum operated by the Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation.”

[newmexicophotographer]

abiquiu, nm (redux)

[nmnomad]

Abiquiu Lake reflections...

[kitaston]

Georgia O'Keeffe in her ghost ranch home in Abiquiú, New Mexico

[postcardsfromthefrontier]

Stinky beautiful chamisa, near Abiquiu.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The Río Chama in Río Arriba Co, NM, near Abiquiú. Photo: Patrick Lansing (July 18, 2024)

(Scott Horton)

* * * *

Life is a long lesson in humility.

—James M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan

“Barrie should have added, “If we’re lucky.” By that I mean we’re lucky if our lives last long enough for it to be a “long lesson.” But I also mean we’re lucky to have constant reminders on how to be humble because that makes us empathetic to others and lays a foundation for being able to love and be worthy of being loved. In other words, humility breeds happiness.

“Arrogance is the enemy of humility. That need to feel like we matter beyond the confines of our little world means we can only feel important when validated by others—not by ourselves. Unfortunately, the need for that validation often leads to unhappiness. For many, the only way to feel significant is to chase after some sort of fame or popularity. This can be done through gathering “likes” on social media or by accumulating wealth to flaunt. The idea is that if others are envious, the person has proven they are more significant than those who envy them. This is the math of madness.

“For a happy few, fame is merely a by-product of pursuing personal greatness—not to flaunt but just out of curiosity about how far they can go. This is true of the athlete and the artist, the inventor and the innovator. Their joy comes from their reach exceeding their grasp. It comes from the trying more than the succeeding. This path is littered with failure and humility, which only makes them strive harder. The joy is in the striving, not in the accolades of others. Or as Janis Joplin said, “On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone.”

For me, being a speck of dust is not an existential burden but a profound relief. It is the great equalizer that reminds us we all face the same challenges of wanting to feel useful, needed, and worthy. Humility teaches us that those challenges are overcome through compassion, kindness, and love for others rather than seeking power over others.

“There is nothing that teaches humility more than aging. The increasing frailties of the body remind me daily just how insignificant so much of what I once thought was important really is. I also am acutely aware of how many opinions I had in my youth and even later that embarrass me today. That humility taught me to form my opinions carefully using facts, experts, and research rather than my biased gut or peer pressure.

“The closing door of life just inspires me to make a positive difference in others’ lives while that door is still open, even if just a crack and I can see light. Humility lights the way.”

[Kareem Abddul Jabar]

[thank you TCinLA]

[wdr2-rlbmut]

“Fill your space in a beautiful way." Georgia O'Keeffe in her home at Abiquiu, New Mexico. An Alexander Calder mobile hangs over her fireplace, a gift to her by the artist in 1942 (Georgia O’Keeffe Museum)

[amalgameheteroclite]

Georgia O’Keeffe par Bruce Weber, Abiquiu, N.M., 1984.

[thomaswaynewolf]

[adventurealldays]

[beyondtheadobe]

[modernviga]

[snowbirdinpassing]

[nmnomad]

Ghost Ranch Orphin Mesa Abiquiu New Mexico