Open the doors...

Playing with shadows

So this time I was trying to work on correct exposure with two different types of lighting.  When I took the picture, obviously the more I opened the door and the curtains, the more light came in.  I could have left this picture at just a lesson in lighting, but I decided to make it a life lesson....

What are doors used for?  To keep things out...the elements, people, animals and anything else you do not want in your house.  However we open them when we want to let in fresh air and let people into our home.  The doors our like our hearts and minds.

The biggest thing I have learned during this experience is that we need to "open our doors".  I don't just mean to different types of people, but for different experiences as well.

In my opinion, people need to take the time to know the people around them.  Talk to them, ask them questions, take an interest in them.  I ask people alot of questions, partly because I am nosy, but mostly because I am truly interested in learning about them.  Getting to hear other's experiences and opinions make us better people.  And while I do not agree with everyone's viewpoints, I enjoy hearing them and having a conversation discussing our differences.  I think in the end we both walk away better people for it.

Certainly the way we grow as people is too "open our doors" to new experiences. I think we learn to appreciate what other cultures, but it also makes us appreciate ours that much more.  We take the good and bad from each experience and use those lessons to create who we are.

In the end, I am glad we opened the door on this experience, I am glad that I opened the door and met the friends I have here and I look forward to opening many more doors.  My hope is that my children have learned to keep their doors open and create a life full of "fresh air".