If you’ve ever had a bad day, and thought it will never stop raining, there’s a new short story you might enjoy reading. It concerns sadness. It contains a tiny bit of wisdom.
It’s titled A Child’s Lesson.
The words of this story are few and simple. The end is a surprise.
Read it here.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s a day for reflection and hope.
This morning I walked past San Diego’s downtown Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse. I paused by several window displays to take photographs of colorful youth art.
The artwork was chosen from many entries to the San Diego County Bar Association’s 2018 Law Week Poster and Video Contest. The theme was: What does Equality and Justice for All mean to students?
Taking sharp photos through the windows was a challenge. I had to increase the contrast for each of these images.
Enjoy a few bits of wisdom from young hearts and minds:
“Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Walk down one particular sidewalk in Golden Hill and you might find this inspiring street art.
The messages painted on the electrical box are simple but powerful.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
How do you share you care?
People have written down inspiring answers. Their words can be read in several windows of downtown’s Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.
What would you write?
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
This afternoon, as I walked past the Fish Market restaurant on the Embarcadero, I saw a dead plant in their small garden next to the sidewalk.
When I knelt to look more closely, I discovered seeds ready to take flight.
If a thing appears hopeless, always take another look.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Do you enjoy beautiful things? Visit my other photography blog which I call A Small World Full of Beauty.
I’ve published a new Christmas story. It’s about our busy lives and the passage of time.
It’s titled A Wise Man.
Please forgive me if I make changes to this tiny work of fiction as I reread it in the days, weeks and months to come. A writer’s thoughts and feelings can evolve over time.
To read the story, click here.
I believe the world is fundamentally beautiful. Beauty permeates everything. From atoms to galaxies–and everything in between.
Beauty awaits open eyes wherever we happen to walk. Perhaps you’ve noticed this is an important theme of Cool San Diego Sights.
Yesterday I finished writing a short story that is very dark. It concerns ugliness that arises from human vanity. So now I find myself in a difficult situation.
I’d rather not have a depressing story welcome readers to my website Short Stories by Richard. I want to outshine the darkness with light.
A bright, magical story is now taking form under my pen. But finding the right words to approximate eternal truths can be a puzzle. I’m stuck for the moment, wrestling.
All living things require watering. I know that with fresh eyes and a little patience the story will grow and mature.
Until these two new short stories appear, you might enjoy reading my published works of fiction here.
Step inside Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park and you’ll come face to face with a large and very powerful mural. It was created by Guillermo “Yermo” Aranda, completed in 1984 after 13 years of inspired work.
The mural, titled La Dualidad, tells the grand story of the universe, humanity, and America’s indigenous peoples. Elements from Mesoamerican literature are included in the story, including diverse symbols from Aztec, Mayan and Native American cultures.
It’s a story primarily about darkness and light. Two ancient gods are juxtaposed: Tezcatlipoca, god of darkness, against Quetzalcoatl, god of light. War is contrasted with peace. Despair is contrasted with hope. Fear is contrasted with confidence.
Should you visit Centro Cultural de la Raza to admire La Dualidad, be sure to open up the nearby binder. It details the meaning of each ancient symbol inside the mural. They combine to form a timeless wisdom that will touch your mind and heart.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Today I took my usual Sunday walk through Balboa Park. On a whim I ventured into the Balboa Park Club to see if many people were folk dancing, and I paused inside the grand foyer to once again admire the room’s monumental mural and central sculpture.
The latter is called Four Cornerstones of American Democracy. It was created by Frederick Schweigardt in 1935 for the California Pacific International Exposition. Each graceful figure represents one of four ideals.
While I’ve walked past this sculpture many times, today I was really struck by the simplicity of the four bowed faces. They convey both beauty and strength.
If you want to see more of the grand foyer, and learn a bit about its history, I blogged about it a couple years ago here.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Do you love Balboa Park? Follow my special blog which I call Beautiful Balboa Park!
It’s time to celebrate Read Across America Day!
Today many hands, young and old, will be picking up a book or their favorite e-book reader. Many eyes and minds will be enjoying that uniquely human activity: reading!
Why is March 2 designated National Read Across America Day? Because it’s the birthday of Dr. Seuss!
As many of you know, Dr. Seuss was the pen name of Theodor Geisel, who made his home in La Jolla, a beautiful community in the city of San Diego.
Months ago during a walk through La Mesa, a city in San Diego’s East County, I took photos of a chalkboard that was standing on the sidewalk in front of Maxwell’s House of Books.
Please enjoy two quotes about the magic of reading!
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Would you like to read a few philosophical, very short stories?
They can be found on my website Short Stories by Richard!
Cool San Diego Sights! 