Claustrophobia in the Caves

The ground of fearlessness is fear. In order to be fearless, you have to stand in the middle of your fear.

Larry Rosenberg

the metal door slams.

I’m trapped.

the walls are close

the steps are narrow

so many people

so little air

so far

down

we go

so deep

earth

pressing

in

on

me

the guide turns out the lights to tell us how this section of the cave was discovered

i stay behind the rest of the group, a shadow of fear

I feel myself lightening up a little as the cave widens, and I know the exit is not far

a stalactite chandelier in the Frozen Niagra

Smile, breathe and go slowly.

Nhat Hanh

From the safe distance of a few days, several hundred miles and a bit of perspective, my claustrophobic panic in the Mammoth Cave seems like a bad dream. I have made somewhat of a joke of this fear I have of being trapped, but this two hour tour in Mammoth Cave National Park, called Domes and Dripstones, made me realize how bad my claustrophobia has really become. I made it through the cave tour and was even feeling pretty light at the end, when I knew my exit was near - but I’ve had a residual feeling of panic and resistance afterward. I think it’s time I learn to face this. I understand now that I’m not only afraid of being trapped, but I’m afraid of the panic I experience when feeling trapped. I am afraid of my fear. I can only see that getting worse if I don’t work with it. Do you have any “irrational” fears? Do you have any ideas about how to work with them? I’d love to hear what you think.

Hope you have a great weekend. See you next week!

My last morning at Mammoth Cave it rained, and then a fog blanketed everything.

Soaking in Texas

All beauty of this world is wet with the dew of tears.

Theodor Haecker

The morning after a stormy night

a few raindrops linger

and a silent fog rolls in

Love is not a hot-house flower, but a wild plant, born of a wet night, born of an hour of sunshine; sprung from wild seed, blown along the road by a wild wind.

John Galsworthy

I had a great time visiting my family in Fort Worth this week. The weather was unusually cloudy and rainy for spring in Texas, but not unwelcome -the wildflowers are more abundant than I’ve ever seen them this year. It was a short visit. Now I’m blowing on down the road like a wild seed on a wild wind.

Hope your week was beautiful Thank you for to everyone who shared your photos experimenting with frames! Keep on sending! Maybe they will end up in a future post. Love to you all. See you next week.

An absolute

patience.

Trees stand

up to their knees in

fog…

Denise Levertov

Framing

The magic possibility of framing a certain space and time is what brought me to photography. This process of recording elements of 3 dimensions in the flow of time, and fixing them in a 2 dimensional image, creates a new context for the elements of the photograph.

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy

(See his photos)

What seems to hold you

Only frames you fleetingly

You were always free.

I have been thinking about and playing with frames in photographs.

How they can change an ordinary scene into something special.

How they can focus the eye, capture light, create intimacy with the vast.

You have escaped the cage. Your wings are stretched out. Now fly.

Rumi

Maybe this is something you can try yourself, if you’re interested. Go for a walk with your smartphone or camera and look for objects, doorways, fences, holes in walls, forks in trees - anything that you can look through to emphasize your subject beyond, within, or possibly even perched on your chosen frame. I would love to see what you come up with! You can either send it to me directly or just post it and tag me if you’re on Instagram @randomrho.

Thank you so much for being here! I am going to be traveling for the next couple weeks with unknown connectivity- so I might be posting on a slightly wonky schedule - but I’ll see you next week-ish 😊.

Potential frames are everywhere. Green Heron on the ropes at the Miami Beach Marina.