Sometimes travelling has the ability to deliver life lessons in unexpected ways. This article shares some insights gained at Marie Joseph during our recent Nova Scotia photography tour.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.
If you found the fishing village of Marie Joseph on a map of Nova Scotia, there would be nothing notable making it stand out from any of the other settlements that dot the provincial coastline.
This small community has stopping power. What I found intriguing was the collection of out-of-commission vessels either tethered to shore or up on land.
They were a stark reminder of the future that each of us will eventually face as the natural cycle of life comes full circle. The potential to leave a legacy of some kind exists for each of us. Just like the salvage and re-purposing of parts of the vessel pictured above will help bring life to new creations. Each and every life here does matter. We can nurture. We can inspire.
Each of us has the opportunity in life to chart our course towards destinations of our choosing. It is our individual responsibilities to see storms in the distance. Alter our course as needed due to circumstance, but still remain fixed on our life purpose. Like any sea captain, the ultimate tests are how often we brought our vessel to port.
Whether our goals and our accomplishments were big or small matters not. Our passion to live our lives fully… to make the most of our individual talents and touch the lives around us… are the contributions we make to humankind.
There will be memories we can share with others. Of dangers and challenges faced.
Decisions we made that kept us moving forward, cutting through high seas and storms. The lessons learned through our journeys, and the wisdom we shared with others.
The human journey is not an easy one. One thing is constant. Younger generations are watching us in the background, looking for guidance and inspiration.
Someone… somewhere… looks to each one of us as their hero.
May all of us have the strength of character, to be worthy of their gaze.
Marie Joseph is one of the featured locations in our Nova Scotia Photography Tour eBook, which is available at $12.99 CDN.
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Nice photos, thanks. I’ll have to visit there sometime.
I’m glad you enjoyed the image Ed! Nova Scotia is an interesting province to visit!
Tom
Hi Tom,
I distinctly remember one poster in Photography Life referring to you as PL’s resident philosopher and this post reminds me why. The beautiful images of these weathered, rusting, sea vessels find meaningful prose in your article. The way I see it, either we can consider the fishing village as sort of a graveyard for sea vessels past their prime or, coming from an island-nation where half-century old vessels (or older) are still sailing, a place of new possibilities. Anyway, there’s something about old ships and boats that make us photographers wax poetic; their hulls, the corrosion, evoke journeys through so many stormy seas.
Warm regards,
Oggie
Hi Oggie,
I agree…there is something about old ships and boats that makes my mind wander into places of adventure and intrigue! I’ve been called a few things (both negative and positive) over at Photography Life and being the site’s ‘resident philosopher’ was one of them 🙂
Tom