The Quiet Company of Strangers

I spent this morning sitting on a park bench, just watching the pigeons peck at the pavement. It is funny how we share our cities with creatures that seem to have their own secret agendas, moving through our busy lives without ever needing to acknowledge us. I often wonder if they see the architecture of our world the same way we do, or if they just see a series of ledges and shadows. There is something deeply grounding about being in the presence of another living thing that doesn’t care about your schedule or your worries. It reminds me that we are all just passing through the same spaces, occupying the same corners of the earth for a little while, even if we are moving at entirely different speeds. We are never truly alone, even when we feel like we are walking through a place built for the past. Do you ever feel like you are being watched by the small, quiet things in your neighborhood?

Ignacio Amenábar has captured this feeling perfectly in his image titled Cemetery Story. It turns a simple, fleeting moment into a conversation between the living and the stone. Does this scene make you feel like an observer or a participant?