For those who don’t drive, the “stopping distance” is the
space between the point one applies the brakes and the place one actually comes
to a halt. If I hit the brakes at 30 m.p.h. on a dry surface my car will stop
75 feet (23 meters) down the road. Elsewhere in life I’ve always been convinced
I can come to a dead stop. But I’m always proved wrong. Stopping is hard.The most effective way to apply the brakes is by applying,
releasing, and applying them in short bursts. My 2016 was a little like that.
Personal matters I thought had stopped preoccupying my mind long ago, lingered
still. Dedicating myself to a strict regime of one-per-month paintings was like
trying to apply the brakes on my thoughts in short bursts, hoping to bring them
to a more effective halt.
Today is the Winter Solstice. Tomorrow the daylight will last that little bit longer and the dark nights that little bit shorter.
All text, pros, poetry, photos & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.
