This morning I am sharing the beach with four young ladies. We have arrived just as the sky has started to brighten. I find the perfect spot for my tripod and they find a patch of waterfront property about 50 feet in front of and to my right.
My assumption is that we share a common purpose this morning; enjoying the sunrise. I am right about that, but wrong in how we will go about it. As I wait for the sun to emerge above the cloud cover on the horizon, I notice the girls are talking to each other, but mostly they are engaged with their phones taking selfies at different angles, crafting their best sultry gazes, and getting their hair just right for the next photo.
I was able to get an image of the sunrise that pleased me and I hope the young ladies got some nice photos for their Instagram accounts. I did not see them make any images with the lens of their cameras pointed toward the ocean.
Lest this sound like another rant about the vanity of the younger generation, that is not my intent...well, maybe a little. To be fair, the ladies were having a great time, were quiet, and respectful of folks near them. We both came to experience the first light of the day. I wanted to see the different colors that might appear and see how the light played across the cloud formations. They showed up to bathe in that same light and to see what it would do for their features.
Neither purpose is better than the other. There is room on the beach for us all and the sun does not appear to care. Still, I must confess to shaking my head as I leave the beach. Some days, it just seems like folks I encounter are in such different places than I am.
