Clockwork toys

clockwork

Happy New Year, everyone! (And I do hope it is happy, or, at least, reasonably happy, which is my personal goal for 2015).

Most of us know how important it is to work, to exercise, to drink water, to read, to thank, to radiate good vibes etc, etc. Every important thing adds to our overall well-being,  and it is good that there are quite a few of them. If, being an imperfect human, I fail in choosing the most important, the right, and the best today, I still can pick up something from the list of important things and do it before I go to bed. No one is a failure. No one is neither programmed to fail, nor to win. We will start it again tomorrow and try to do better next time.

It is so good to be alive and every day have a different tomorrow to look forward to.

I saw this guy in the street shortly before I left for the airport. Unfortunately I had no time to ask his name, and where he came from. He had a companion, a very plain looking young lady, which made me think about them as a couple of exotic birds – a colorful male and a modest female bird. I dropped a few coins in their collection box and took these pictures.

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I was thinking about this couple all my way to the airport. I was trying to google them, but with no success. They will stay a mystery until next winter when I hope to meet them again.

Their clockwork band filled the street with some Irish music. The dolls didn’t look uniform and evenly worn, and I guessed that they didn’t perform all together on a regular basis – only on some special occasions. They were turning around, banging into each other and turning back again. When a crowd gathered to gaze at the unusual performers, the man picked up a fiddle and started to play along. I was sorry that I had to leave.

I don’t know if their intention was to cheer up the crowd. I personally felt a sad kind of fascination watching the clockwork dolls live their mechanical lives. Is there anything more helpless in the toy world than a mechanical doll?

People can end up living mechanical lives too.  Lives without remorse and joy, without compassion and prayer for help, without fight and success. Lives without a different tomorrow.

Year 2014 was supposed to be very dangerous because of the technical and electronic  failures and related accidents, which unfortunately came out to be true… Hope that 2015 gives as a break so that we can focus on our personal lists of important things to work on. This video is for you to put a big smile on your face 🙂

Happy New 2015!

Photography tip of the day: When you take pictures of your little ones and share them on social media sites, consider the content of the photograph.

inesemjphotographyHave a wonderful week!

53 comments

  1. For Happy 2015!

    It’s true that people can end up living mechanical lives..that’s a great reminder. I wonder about the images now.. 😀 sounds very mysterious..have you discovered it yet?

    Wishing you safe and pleasant trip! ❤

    1. Thank you Indah! 🙂 I have no idea who the man is… May be it is better that he remains a mystery 🙂
      Yes, all the comments went to spam. Something strange was going on with my account lately…

  2. Inese – A beautiful blog and I love the street band. I’m all in agreement about not having a mechanical life. Although I’m a caregiver, I do everything possible to change my days around to mix things up. Otherwise, I do believe I’d fall over the deep end. Your blogs are always such an inspiration to me to move forward. Luv, Sheri

        1. Sheri – thank you for all the encouragement! I was having problems with the page and almost gave up on the blog… You as always supported my little wings 🙂

          1. Inese – You’ve built a wonderful following and I’ve seen such growth in your blog from the early days when I first started following you. I don’t make it to your blog as often as I’d like but when I do get there, I always find food for thought and beauty to restore my battered soul. Your sensitivities as a photographer and ability to tap into the emotional environment and convey it to your readers is a talent few photographers have. You have a gift few photography blogs have. I’ve set my iPad up so that when Tom is awake and wants to look at artistic blogs I believe he’ll enjoy, yours is one that’s at the top of the list. He’ll mention to me when he hasn’t seen anything new from you so that tells me he’s been reading your blogs and taking in what you are photographing. Your work brings comfort to a man that lives with excruciating pain 24/7.
            I have times when I want to give up on my blog. Last week I spent a full day trying to get my blog posted and what with taking care of Tom and keeping up with a household I don’t have full days to spend posting one blog so I hear you about the frustration.
            I wanted to let you know our household enjoys your photography more than I’ll ever be able to convey in words. Thank you dear, Inese.

            1. Sheri – I feel truly humbled and grateful for your kind words about my blog. So sorry that I have been experiencing difficulties with my account and almost gave up… I will renew the account next week and see if it helps. Some functions are back, but I am still struggling with my dashboard and uploading, and busy as I am I have no time to fight with the dashboard for hours… Please tell Tom I am sorry for not posting anything … I thought I would repost my old stuff, but it didn’t work either… I am sending you loads of love and thanks for being my best blogger friend from the beginning, and for giving me a hand always when I need it. You are a beautiful angel on duty – you always care of everybody! Thank you again! I so hope you have a peaceful week and Tom’s pain lessens so that he is able to enjoy some quiet peaceful time with his Princess… Sending my love to you both
              Love, Inese

  3. Happy New Year dear Inese … I much enjoyed this Clockwork toy´s approach over here… Great spotlight and such a lovely way to start the year, my friend. Sending hugs and all my best twishes to you and your family, Aquileana 😀

  5. Another great blog Inese! Love the image and thought-provoking story line. And I have not seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for years – Dick van Dyke was so good in it. Happy New Year!

    1. Isn’t it a great movie? They must have it on Netflix. Hope that 2015 is fun, full of adventure, and has a happy end like a good old movie:)

  7. What an unusual band this is! Too bad there wasn’t anything online about them, but then again it’s a good mystery to pursue 🙂 I wish you all the best for this New Year, Ines xx

  8. Let’s hope your wishes come true. I understand your comment about mechanical toys. They have something old-fashioned about them….And artisanal that nowadays I guess doesn’t exist any longer. Fascinating couple indeed.

  13. Happy New Year to you as well! What a very interesting character, this man and his mechanical dolls. What you say is true for leading our lives. I for one choose passion over mechanics 🙂

  18. Thank you for a wonderful post, Inese. It was very relevant to the bad things that have been done to my career during the past two years. I wish i could read it to everyone who thinks i should be content and say “It’s a paycheck.” Because in effect they are telling me to be a clockwork doll.
    Well done. Here’s to a New Year that brings us everything we want. Huge hugs! 😀

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