A Little Inspiration

June 23rd, 2012

Spires, towers, steeples, cupolas, and obelisks – these were the images that caught my attention while perusing through photographs taken by a friend from her travels around the world.  Architectural structures that pierce through the sky are common across cultures.  Sometimes these features are purely practical, a weather vane or wind sock a top a pole indicating prevailing winds, a light house perched on an outcropping of rocks guiding boats safely into harbor, or a clock tower declaring the time throughout the city.  But sometimes these spires are meant to inspire.

The massive Redwood trees in northern California, or the orange rock pinnacles in the Canyon Lands of the Southwest takes our breath away. Being awed or inspired is something we need from time to time. Perhaps our towers, minarets, and monuments are an attempt to capture that feeling.  Physiologically, our eyes naturally track horizontally, so looking upwards creates a sense of wonder.  Even our language is embedded with the notion of reaching upwards.  We use words like higher wisdom, higher education, or higher power.  Its interesting that both the words inspire and aspire have at their root the word spire. So, there is no surprise that my friend’s camera lens was drawn to the towering elements she discovered throughout her travels.

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