Had quite a few interesting conversations with the people who surround my every day life. My wife, my children, and co-workers represent those who I interact with most often. We've discussed leadership, photography, religion, politics, food, and many other topics that run the gamut.
This particular picture came up a few times as I waffled about my next post. As I am want to do, I like to post a favorite recently taken photo with my meandering thoughts. I was torn between two very similar shots, and asked several people which spoke to them the most.
The picture above invariably was the pick of the litter each time (can a litter be a selection of just two? Who knows). The main difference between this one and the other was the focus; where the flowers in the background here are in focus, the other picture simply had the main flower in focus with the background blurred out.
When pressed for the "why", one particular person said, "The picture I chose spoke to a sense of community. It focused on the many, rather than the one". I loved that, and wondered to myself if that's why the other people I spoke to also chose this picture. There's often a common thread that runs through our lives, and I like to think the people closest to me have an enduring, visceral ability to empathize, and to look toward others and focus on their needs, wants, and doubts.
I'm a very lucky person to have these people around me.