Exploring...

Growing up, one of the thing I remember most is being able to explore my surrounding and environment on my own. After all, it was a house full of girls. What is a boy to do but go off on his own and explore.

I have many memories of being in vacant fields and back alley lots figuring out things, finding out things that is interesting and excite my mind. Of course I was much older than Terrence is so I find myself some how being able to escape from the watchful eyes of my parents and aunt/uncle to wander on my own. I guess it's easy when there are seven kids living under one roof and the parents are busy working to earn a living.

I remember one time climbing a fence to the back lot of a building. The grass grew tall and uncontrolled with blades that are thicker and edges sharper than your typical variety. The point of interest that beckon me was a grove of tall bamboo, lining a fence that separated the building's property from its' neighbor.

It was an obstacle course of fallen/broken bamboos and other trash to get to the prime ones. I remember grabbing a hold of a bigger bamboo trunk to help make my way upwards to the nicer looking ones. Immediately sensing something different, I looked at the palm of my hand to find it covered in a finely black, almost velvety, layer of what I call bamboo thorns. It was hairlike but very short and existed on the lower parts of the bigger bamboos. It was a property I did not know bamboo possessed and haven't seen since. It was an 'uh Oh" moment for sure.

Luckily, I was able to brush most of it off like how one brushes sand off the hands and continued on with my exploration. You may ask, what I was doing, climbing the grove of bamboo? Well, I was looking for the thinnest, most strongest...and nimble stick as a cross section for a kite made out of newspaper.

Yeah, we were more ghetto, free and independent back then. The innocence of youth was nurtured by the discovery of new things that help the mind grow. I often wonder how my sons will get the same opportunity to allow their developing mind the freedom and opportunity that I had to grow their experiences through discovery of new things.

In the manicured neighborhood and society we live in, they get to experience many things that I couldn't have. But all very controlled in may ways. Playgrounds are built to code and for safety. I wonder if all these rubbery cushion and over protective suburban parents are somehow shielding the kids a little too much, robbing them of an aspect of their youth.

So like anything, I try to live in the moment, be mindful of the future...and try for balance. As Julie came home, I was out the door with a appropriately dressed kid and a camera with flash...chasing the setting sun. We ignore the private property sign, hopped a fence that was meant to keep us out and followed a narrow trail up the hillside and into the field of dead weeds. What can one discovery in something like this?

I don't know. But that's the fun of exploration on a young kid scale. I get balance knowing I am allowing Terrence the opportunity to get dirty and explore without the man-made safety nets as I capture all that by some technique specific exploring off my own... off camera lighting.

So what did Terrence discover? He discovered petrified coyote/dog poop. Picking it up, squinting his forehead in concentration to figure out what it may be. Why poop turns hard and white after it's been out for a long time. Yes, that may not be exactly what was going on in his mind, but it's a thought have went through mine.

Terrence discovered walking and running up the hillside with a stick on a narrow unending path with encroaching thorny weeds. He learn how much fun it is striking said stick against the dead weeds...freeing all the seeds to float elsewhere and began anew. Making a mess of things and not getting yelled at. All this, while dodging the camera of the ever watchful father.

Enjoy the focus look of discovery and the glee in these photos.