WANDERER ABOVE THE SEA OF FOG

THE FIRST TIME I SAW THIS ICONIC PAINTING BY THE GERMAN ARTIST CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH IN FORM OF A BIG ADVERTISING POSTER THAT WAS PLACED ON THE GLASS ROOF OF THE BERLIN CENTRAL STATION, I WAS STRUCK BY IT'S BEAUTY AND IT'S POWERFUL SENSE OF INTROSPECTION AND SOLITUDE. THE LONE FIGURE, STANDING ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN PEAK AND GAZING OUT OVER A SEA OF FOG, CAPTURED MY IMAGINATION AND FILLED ME WITH A SENSE OF WONDER AND ADMIRATION.

THIS WAS BACK IN 2007. LATER I FOUND OUT THAT "WANDERER ABOVE THE SEA OF FOG" IS NOT JUST A WORK OF ART, BUT A POWERFUL SYMBOL OF THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT AND A TESTAMENT TO THE BEAUTY AND MAJESTY OF THE NATURAL WORLD.

FOR ME IT'S A REMINDER TO TAKE TIME FOR MEDITATION AND INTROSPECTION, TO REFLECT ON THE LARGER MEANING AND PURPOSE OF MY OWN LIFE, TO SEEK OUT MOMENTS OF SOLITUDE AND STILLNESS, TO QUIET THE NOISE OF THE WORLD AND LISTEN TO THE WHISPERS OF MY OWN SOUL, BUT IT'S ALSO A CALL TO ACTION FOR ME, A MEMORIZER TO EMBRACE MY SENSE OF WANDERLUST AND EXPLORE THE WORLD AROUND ME, AND IT'S A REMINDER THAT EVEN WHEN I FEEL SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT, I AM STILL A PART OF SOMETHING MUCH GREATER THAN MYSELF AND THAT THE MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD ARE WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED, IF ONLY I HAVE THE COURAGE TO SEEK THEM OUT.

THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN MY CONSTANT COMPANION ALL THESE YEARS. A POSTCARD-SIZED COPY OF IT SITS DIRECTLY ON THE WINDOWSILL NEXT TO MY DESK AS A DAILY SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.