Chasing the Sunset

"Whether you like it or not, the sun rises when the time comes; whether you like it or not, the sun sets when the time comes!" While working on this project, I discovered this quote from Turkish writer Mehmet Murat Ildan. Once I read it, I couldn't get it out of my head. I kept it in mind as I took and edited each photo so that I could remember that while sunsets, and sunrises, are a source of immense beauty, they are so much more. I began this project on Monday, April 23 when, after waiting all day for 7:40 pm to come around, I snapped a picture of the sunset. I had wanted to work on this project for a while but everytime I would plan on taking the photos, I would become too busy and miss the small opportunity that the setting sun presented. Finally, I wrote out a schedule which detailed the exact time I would take a picture of the sunset each day for a week. As I said before, I started on Monday and wound up taking the photo while I was out studying for a big test. Even though I was busy, I made time for the photo, a process I repeated everyday for the following week. On Tuesday, April 24, I took a picture of the sunset in my backyard while once again taking a break from working on my homework. The next day, Wednesday, April 25, I decided to take the photo from a different perspective and as a result, I wound up with a beautiful silhouette of a tree as well as a reflection in a mirror that turned out to be my favorite picture from this project because it was so different. The project continued on Thursday, April 26. For this photo, I wanted to stick with the silhouette theme but add a new element, framing, that made this day unique. Friday, April 27, was the most spontaneous of the photos. Taken while on my way home from a family dinner, the photo captured the moment my mom made me look out the car window and appreciate the sunset. Saturday, April 28's photo is similar to that of Tuesday because yet again, I was preoccupied with homework and honestly, was a little annoyed that I had to stop to take a picture. However, once I did step away from my work, I was enthralled by the sunset's splendor and felt a sort of serenity. As a result, there was a certain feeling I wanted to capture in the last photo of this project. As the sun began to set on Sunday, April 29, I drove around looking for a spot that could convey the message of not only that single photo but this project as a whole. I finally found what I was looking for when I looked at this photo and saw the beauty that only sunsets can exemplify. All of these photos, especially this last one, remind me of an important thing that I think I as well as everyone else needs to remember. We lead busy lives and every now and then, we need to stop, take a breath, and appreciate the beauty around us. In a world full of due dates and stress we need to take a moment to realize that that is not all life is about. While I used to watch the sun set wistfully as I thought about how it represented the passing of another day and the ever flowing hourglass of time, I now look at each sunset and remind myself that while we can't stop time, we can appreciate the little bit of it that we have. Now that you have lived a week in my shoes, will you choose to do the same?