Wednesday, around noon. I was on the western edge of the state where I live. I was taking pictures of a beautiful city, of a valley full of buildings and human beings who ignore, for the most part, how precious it can be to be surrounded by the nature that has been given to us. On one side, the slopes of the mountains, on the other side; the sea. To the north, the concrete, which is the symbol of civilisation. And me, I have decided to capture it all just by wearing a pair of trainers, a lot of Incubus music, and walking under the sun of a winter that is coming to an end.
And yes, there I am. In the undergrowth. Walking and walking through part of those hills that are part of my city's skyline. I saw this idea in a YouTube video set in Los Angeles, which, saving the economic and cinematographic distances, San Diego, my city in Venezuela, is quite similar to the Californian city. To see how the influence of the human being has dominated the spaces that for eons have belonged to mother nature is, at the very least, an invitation to think and reflect...
We firmly believe that we are the most capable species, the pinnacle of evolution itself. And the truth is that in practical terms, we are a tiny speck of dust in time, nothing more. I am not ashamed, nor do I pretend, that I am privileged to have been born, raised and lived in the stage of humanity where antibiotics, condoms and cameras exist. It could have been much more challenging. However, in Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia or with the Incas, I don't think it would have been much different. We all admire what nature has allowed us to conquer.
It doesn't matter what things you think make us different. When you reach a high point, whatever it is; mountain, lift, terrace, balcony, etc, we all look at the horizon in a reflective way. We admire our infinite smallness. Perhaps we are not aware of it, but I believe that this is indeed the case. And I am grateful that on this occasion, I can feel my thoughts thanks to the influence of Incubus. A band that is perfect for creating experimental atmospheres and that helps with that adrenaline/admiration feeling.
Weather on a day's walk changes. It starts with a bit of fog, faint, then the sun's rays warm everything up, then it's cloudy again and the sun ‘hides’ and threatens to rain. In my opinion, these are paths that we don't often pay the attention they deserve. I insist, the rhythm of our obligations and the stress of fulfilling our needs deprive us of witnessing this; our union, our link with the beautiful, the truly enormous and what will still be there once we have left this existence; the immensity of nature...
