On feeling spunky with yourself…

People. I’ve been feeling so cool lately and I owe it to my new found lust-affair with my Nikon camera. If you ever feel uninspired or like you lost your sparkle, then I suggest you go get yourself a nice camera – the kind that photographers use when on an African voyage!! It will cost you a pretty penny, but I tell you, it will be worth every cent because the feeling you will get when shooting is utterly marvellous.

I bought my Nikon right before moving back to Jordan. I had it in mind to some day take photograph lessons because I felt like I would be someone who would ultimately enjoy this as a hobby. Let’s back up a little, I wanted a hobby, a diversion from everyday mundane-ness because I knew that I would be spending a lot of time alone, and I also knew that Jordan is a beautiful country that I wanted to explore. What better to do with my lonesome self when on a date with Jordan? Surely, photograph it!

It’s such a nice hobby to adopt because it has the power to transform everyday ordinariness to awe-inspiring moments. Take for example the other morning, I was driving to work, and I crossed the modern bridge that connects east and west Amman. Ordinarily – pre-Nikon days, I would cross it hurriedly, but post-Nikon, the crossing off of it carried more significance because now the picture is richer. I started noticing how the light reflects off of it, and felt a sudden need to stop the car, get out, and snap away. I can’t tell you how cool it all felt. From the A to the Zed of it all. Having a camera adds meaning and consequence to the moment. Kind of like a blog – writing and photographing – you have the power to immortalize and celebrate the moment.

So off you go…go on!…
Put your feet in your shoes,
And pennies in your wallet.
You have faces and spaces to take places!

And if that fails to make you feel cool, then go to your wardrobe, pull out your cowboy boots and wear them! That always works for me.

How do you get jiggy with it?