Keep Looking Upward – but not too much (Quote and Photo)

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Deb, at Travel with Intent (here), offers a weekly quotation for bloggers to connect a post with – and the quote this week is:

“I try to avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward.”

Charlotte Bronte

This is the photo that came to mind for a direct response to Bronte’s quote, especially this part: “Try to keep looking upward.” Looking up here (at a park in PA) – I see the flag of my country. I am reminded of how grateful I am to live in the United States. The cannon reminds me that the freedom we have “was not free.” Our country is not perfect – never was – and never will be – but it is a gift. And – In this photo, I also look up to see the sky – I imagine the firmament, which is that structure above the Earth’s atmosphere, and I think of God and the heavenly cloud of witnesses…. I smile, remembering that my little vapor of life here is not done and I have so much yet to give.

 

I like Bronte’s quote and all – but we cannot just look up all the time. Right? Sometimes we need to look backwards – and even down – to keep perspective and to stay grounded – and this was my smile today – enjoying summer’s ending with contentment and remembering snowy days will be here before we know it (Linked to Trent’s Weekly Smile)

Another reason to NOT merely look up all the time (Ha) We need to watch where we are going…

This next one is to join in with Profrifollies 4.8 (here): 

 

Another reason to not “only” look up is because when we look forward and “over” – we see and feel life happening. Even if it is a quiet moment, waiting, at the airport – (photo below) Linked to PULL UP A SEAT week #33

In closing, when I heard this Old Blue Chair song from Kenny Chesney (here),

I knew at some point I wanted to add it to a “pull up a seat” post to share with  

Today is good time because my take on Bronte’s quote seemed to sync with the lyrics:

“I’ve read a lot of books, wrote a few songs
Looked at my life, where it’s goin’, where it’s gone
I’ve seen the world through a bus windshield
But nothing compares to the way that I see it
To the way that I see it, to the way that I see it
When I sit in that old blue chair”

Hope your week is going well. 

And quick question –

Where are you mostly at right now? – looking backward, forward, upward – or a mix of all three?

P R I O R H O U S E

2019

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53 thoughts on “Keep Looking Upward – but not too much (Quote and Photo)”

    1. Hi Stuart – thanks you for taking the time to read posts and glad you caught the humor in the sign – I wonder where the ticket goes too – hahah

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Great post, Yvette, and it’s got me thinking. I get the quote of looking up, but I also agree with your point about needing to keep an eye on other directions too. Looking up is good, but for me, at the moment I have to confess to looking forwards a bit – towards my next university module starting at the end of September. But I also have to admit I’m looking back quite a bit – to Wales and my Quest. I’m missing it! Have a great week. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks for your nice comment and I will be over to check in at your place soon –
      I smiled to see your name show up because I was thinking about you last week when I wrote a fiction piece fo Latvia – they have medieval history and I almost brought you into my fiction – but then got on a different idea.
      anyhow, best wishes with your university modules coming up…. hard to believe august is ending soon – yikes.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks Yvette, and thanks also for thinking of me with the Latvian medieval connection! Sounds fascinating.
        I can’t believe August is nearly over too – where did the time go? 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  8. They’re going to fine you after you electrocute yourself to death? That is sure adding insult to injury 😉 A friend of my brother was electrocuted on a subway car in Jersey or NYC (not sure which). He lived, but lost both legs from the knees down and had a lot of other damage. Awful.

    But I am not smiling at the upcoming winter quite yet. I’ll take a little more summer and I love, love fall!

    Nice photos 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi T – sorry about your friend’s brother – that is some unique story of his – to live through that – and the sign still cracks me up
      –
      and I meant that I smiled to think of winter and embrace the warmth and end of summer more – kind of like savor and embrace for soon ’twill be gone…

      Liked by 1 person

      1. With all respects to my brother’s friend Jeff, the sign cracks me up as well.

        Ah yes, a deeper appreciation of what we have knowing that it is temporary.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. hey – cheers to looking forward and upward – it has a nice ring to it – and that is me right now (with a little backward and trying not to do it too much)

      Liked by 1 person

  10. OK, so I had to laugh at your sign. Touching wires will cause instant death, then they are going to fine you 200 for killing yourself??? It just struck me funny.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Hi, fun post! I got a kick out of the electrocution sign. Seriously? Strange signs crack me up. We were in the UK one time and saw a sign that said No dog fouling! I could guess at the meaning, but it was pretty odd. I love the Charlotte Bronte post too. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi library lady – thanks for your fun comment – and if you see any fun signs in the near future – maybe you should join in with the follies group – at Proscenium blog. and that no dog fouling sign sounds pretty fun….
      have a nice day

      Like

  16. I absolutely agreed with you and this is exactly: “I like Bronte’s quote and all – but we cannot just look up all the time. Right? Sometimes we need to look backwards – and even down – to keep perspective and to stay grounded “.

    Liked by 1 person

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  19. I thoroughly enjoyed this post–especially what you said about our freedom not being free at all, and God and His cloud of witnesses–AMEN!! And YES, looking up is great, but I have to watch where I walk these days–too many falls after turning 65 😉 May God bless you abundantly ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    1. thank you so much for your comment – and nice to connect via blog.
      This post was a last minute idea for me and then I was sidetracked when it was 90% done. I was about to go to bed and thought – hey – why not finish it – because not sure how it goes for you – but I have ha d a few other posts get to “almost done” and then later I just delete them because the spark was only there for the time it was being crafted – and that is why I decided to finish it – which did not take long – and with comments like yours it made me really happy I did not let this go stale and then go to trash – 🙂
      peace

      Liked by 1 person

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  21. It’s nice to be tall … most of the time, but yikes – and to be fined even if you’re burnt to a crisp? I often look back Yvette, both in my mind, and in my blog. I will wax nostalgic but someone once said that those golden memories often have a little tarnish to them if you stop and really take a good look at them. We don’t do that though – I am guilty. I am trying to steam forward and this year have been thinking more and more about my future and retirement. It is a few years away but have been giving it a lot of thought this year, perhaps all the mishaps in the house and longer days at work, but I’ve been thinking of having endless hours down the pipeline and what I’ll do first and it lifts me up. I look forward to having the time to read again – it’s been ages since I’ve done that and I miss it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for chiming in – this was my favorite part:

      been thinking of having endless hours down the pipeline and what I’ll do first and it lifts me up.

      that is so fun to look forward to – and I bet you will enjoy plenty of books when the retirement time does come…
      🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I have over this past year begun to think more and more of that down time, whether it is reading about some fellow bloggers’ adventures since they are recently retired and I am envious of them, or just getting older, I’m not sure, but I do think about it more and more and looking forward to embracing the golden years.

        Liked by 1 person

  23. This is a great post, Yvette! So much I love about it––from your gratitude to live in the US, to your awareness that you still have a lot to contribute in this life, to your photos and more. And, I totally agree! Looking forward and backward can be an essential part of living (and can even help to lift us upward.)

    Great to reconnect with you!
    Blessings,
    Debbie

    Liked by 1 person

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