By Scott Shephard
Sunrise - Gulf of California (Mexico) (2015)
“Remember Red, Hope is a good thing - maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.”
To me there is always something hopeful in a sunrise. Morning twilight is a promise: the sun will rise again and do its good work. I will rise, too, and perform my rituals and routines before I step into the morning light and endeavor to find meaning and purpose. Is my work “good?” Only God (and my wife) know. I’m lucky, though: there are very few days that I face without optimism and hope.
Christmas, too, is in part about hope: light coming into darkness and the promise that brokenness is not the final word. There is also the promise of redemption. I find this comforting - especially at a time in our country’s life that is filled with anger, conflict and, yes, even hopelessness in some. If you are among those who feel this way, may you find some comfort in this special season. And maybe there’s a little solace in considering my simple photo.
I took this picture over 10 years ago but I still remember the moment. There was a warm breeze wafting over the Gulf of California off the coast of Mexico. There was the subtle sound of water lapping against the hull of the boat I was on. There was the distant sound of birds starting their day. There were no human voices - only the sound of my breathing and the soft sound of the camera’s shutter.
Now you’re here with me waiting for the sun. You’re always welcome. And I trust you believe, as Andy did, that hope is indeed “a good thing.”
The last words in “The Shawshank Redemption” are spoken as a voiceover by Red, a man who was finally paroled after decades in prison. He has violated the terms of his parole by going to find his friend, Andy, who had successfully escaped the same prison and now lives in Mexico. As he rides in a bus towards the Mexican border, he says
“I hope I can make it across the border. I hope I can see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope . . . .”
Canon 5DIII f/2.8 1/125 sec ISO 640