Greetings and Happy New Year….only ten days late! I have been reading numerous short articles from a variety of sources concerning new beginnings, transitions, reflecting, pressing forward, etc. Most have been interesting and thought-provoking. Some are inspirational and some are dull and predictable. Often, they come with wonderful photographs and other forms of art. There are so many creative folk whom have so much they want to say and share. After assimilating what I’ve read and viewed, I am compelled to ask a serious question. Does it really matter? I mean, if I were to write a pithy piece of prose that resonates with countless people, would that translate into something significant? Should it? What if I were to post an awesome, awe-inspiring photograph that took your breath away? Would that be of real benefit to you? My questioning is like the song from the band, Chicago, wherein the lyrics ask, Does anyone really know what time it is…does anyone really care? Rather helter-skelter.

Sometimes all our sharing seems pointless, like we are just screaming out in our own way to be heard; to be noticed. I guess the real question is this: Do we really matter? To quote from the popular song writer/singer, Bob Dylan, when he stated in one of his iconic songs, The answer my friend is blowin in the wind, the answer is blowin in the wind. That may sound rather ambiguous, but so is life sometimes. My conclusion is this: Yes, each of us matters. We matter to the One who created us; we matter to those whom we call family and friends; we matter to our global community; and we matter to our planet (includes our pets) and we should matter to ourselves if all is right with us. And, what we contribute matters, as well. Your life is not a mistake, and your existence is not happenstance. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the answers because we are all on a journey of discovery; as much about ourselves as anything else. To keep in-sync with my out-of-sync musing, I give you several questions to ponder…Why me? Why now? Why not? What next?

So, as I have thought about what to share with you who follow me or come across my posts for the first time (as if I were some sage and important individual) I give you the following. I am significant, but not because of what I do and how I do it. My significance is a direct result of who made me (speaking beyond my mom and dad). What I do with what I have is up to me and may or may not be of benefit to anyone. The truth is I desire to be a blessing to others. I stumble most of the time, but on occasion I accomplish my goal. I believe most of us want to bless others, and do which makes me smile. So, without further ramblings, I present a short series of photographs which don’t have anything to do with one another, other than I found them interesting and wanted to share them. I sincerely hope you like them. Perhaps one of them may make you smile or think or simply enjoy. Any thoughts on the above rambling are appreciated, as well. This photo was recently taken with my cell phone at a boutique gift shop in an urban part of town. I simply couldn’t resist the unique shape and arrangement of plants!Also taken with my cell phone. I couldn’t resist this painting before Christmas. So cool!Santa Carson waiting for his cookies and milk! Kinda short, isn’t he?Historic building in downtown Kansas City which formerly housed an Italian restaurant, and was turned into a loft condo building.A local small lake with snow-covered ice…very serene at the time of this photo which was taken with my Canon DSLR.I simply couldn’t pass up sharing this image; not so much because of its quality, but because of what it signifies…life giving food. I took this shot in mid-November near our home. We live on the edge of suburbia, but are still surrounded by rural areas. Shot with my Canon DSLR in low light conditions. Thanks for joining me. Wishing you the best in 2014. May this year be the best ever for all who view this post. As Tiny Tim said in Scrooge, God bless us, every one.