Friday, May 16, 2014

Stairs As Metaphor

I love photographing stairs:

down

stairs going to street level in our small, restored Bisbee hotel
(Letson Lofts)

sometimes a little scary
(watch your step)

night stroll, Mary descending gritty stairs between buildings
(what might be waiting at the bottom?)

or up

who needs a stairmaster for exercise?

up, up, and up  


a long haul
(and tiring)


changing over time
(like life itself)


sometimes easy and satisfying

crumbling steps to house (behind poppies)

other times precarious - just hanging in there

Mary and I visited Bisbee on my recent trip to AZ.
A historical mining town built on hills
is "taking steps" to reimagine itself
becoming a mecca for artists and entrepreneurs.


The metaphor of climbing Life's stairs - going both up and down
- searching for clarity and meaning -
- trying to remain stable -
my One Good Thing today.

Is there something commonplace
that you particularly like to write about or photograph?
Why is it meaningful to you?

20 comments:

  1. Mr. Dragon and I visited Bisbee well over 35 years ago. Sweet memories. We stayed in a B&B. I think we took the long way to California ... we had the time! Glad you enjoyed your time with your pal.

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  2. life is certainly like that! sometimes we feel up to the challenge, other times we're not so sure. :)

    (i like fences, obviously). :)

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  3. I would have recognized Bisbee even if you hadn't mentioned the name! When we visited there I was too busy trying not to fall head over heels to have such beautiful philosophical thoughts, but I truly enjoyed yours.

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  4. I would find so many steps to climb very tiring, Barb, especially if they are at a high altitude. I never visited Bisbee, but I did encounter towns in Italy with many steps such as these.

    I always liked to photograph architecture and stained glass windows. Now my brother told me all I seem to photograph is mountains :)

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  5. Gorgeous shots of the stairs - and such a good metaphor too!

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  6. Nice topic Barb.

    Greetings,
    Filip

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  7. You certainly found some wonderful staircases to photograph. I rarely post them but I often find myself photography a glass of wine or some other hard drink.. particularly if it's outside in the warm, late day sun. What does THAT say about me? ;)

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  8. Yes, life can be looked at as a series of staircases that we all have to ascend and descend. Sometimes both can be easy to handle, other times not.
    Great photos here, Barb! Love the California Poppy shot!

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  9. For me at this stage, down is good-- not so much "up". That one with the murals was really pretty.

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  10. Barb,
    You have shared some wonderful shots of 'the stairs' here.
    And I like your metaphor on them.

    My favorite thing to photograph is my granddaughter as she is pure delight.
    And I have written many poems about her and put them in a keepsake box and plan on giving them to her when she is a little older.
    xx

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  11. I really enjoy those images and your good metaphor, Barb. The third one makes me laugh. I hope he will go down soon. I honestly can say that the person in the shot is just like me. My husband and I, our living space is mainly on the second floor. I often think how many times I walk up and down our stairs a day. Many many times!! It is a great exercise I can do at home though. Glad you enjoyed your trip to AZ.

    Have a good new week!

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  12. Interesting photo's, and I really like the metaphor!
    Years gone by, I would attempt these stairs, but
    now I just like to look. :)

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  13. I love the metaphor and especially love that you were traversing these varied staircases (life) with a dear friend. I love this poem by Barbara Guest....abbreviated here and to be truthful, used once on my blog.
    The Blue Stairs
    by Barbara Guest

    There is no fear
    in taking the first step
    or the second or the third

    In fact the top can be reached
    without disaster

    precocious

    The code consists in noticing
    the particular shade of the staircase
    occasionally giving way to the emotions

    It has been chosen discriminately

    * * * *

    It has discovered
    in the creak of a footstep
    the humility of sound

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  14. I enjoyed looking at your stairs. Love the metaphor of climbing up and down.

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  15. I am also fascinated by stairs -and another interest is benches. Now to find some benches on long stairways.

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  16. I also enjoy photographing stairs/steps. But I think what I like the best is nature...flowers, trees, birds, landscapes. Glad to hear and see that you had a great time in Arizona!!

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  17. These steps all look very picturesque. To look at, anyway.
    I think I’d run out of steam if I had to climb them all.

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  18. Thinking of you and wishing you good luck.
    xx

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  19. such a wonderful theme
    i use to have some stairs like some of these to get to a wee apartment i lived in for 4 months in Canada
    they were indeed good exercise, especially when carrying groceries home

    wishing you grace with the readying and sale of your house.

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  20. Keeping you in my good thoughts.
    Hope all is going well on the move
    xx

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Your comments are always one good thing for me!