Not tame at all
November 20, 2008 by Bird
Filed under Blog, On My Travels
I’ve loved old fashioned fairground carousels since I was three years old and got taken to see the steam fair that pitched up on the fields near our home. The looming, gaudily painted creatures mounted on their shining poles were magnificent and other worldly and totally alive. Choosing one to ride was not to be taken lightly; the gorgeous colours were not enough to go by. Staring up at the faces of each fabulous beast I felt almost as if I was being chosen by the horse, and the sense of recognition when we found each other is surely something every child would understand. These horses are elemental beings; it really wouldn’t do to get the wrong one.
I still love carousel rides, but as an adult it feels different – tamer, and more nostalgic. There is still a sense of recognition when I find the horse I want to ride but they don’t feel quite so alive as they once did. Their ornate beauty (as marvellous and fine as any Hindu temple carving) is wooden and oddly stilted; they are the product of a master artisan, nothing more.
And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything. I took my ride and then took some photographs, expecting to capture nothing more than the lurid, glossy creatures that most of us grown-ups see. But when I checked the pictures I found in some of them the carousel horses of my childhood galloping across the screen, wild and exhilarating and most certainly not tame at all.
These pics are wonderful, Bird! I especially like the brightly lit carousel against the blue sky and water…excellent!
You know, I can’t remember what criteria I used to choose my carousel ride…the most colorful? the most ornate? the largest? Or the one beside my friend? I wish I could remember…
(
@Roadgurl5:- thank you, it’s good to see you here again
I can’t remember exactly how I did it either but I remember annoying my mum by taking an age over it, there was just something about choosing that felt so important. The horse I chose for my recent ride was beautiful, and he was called William, same as my father so maybe that had something to do with it. But usually I don’t think you ever consciously know how you choose when presented with an array of “just as wonderful” choices, that’s what makes it fun.
Hey that’s really cool what you did with your site, so professional and forward-thinking. Loving the carousel photos, you have a talented eye.
@Redbeard:- good to see you Redbeard! Thank you, I knew I was going to have to do something with it…such a relief it’s all done now. I’m chuffed you like it, and the pictures too
Hi Bird, it was sweet of you to pop over to my place and let me know you had visited. I am back here to enjoy your site. Love these carousel photos, the colors are so vibrant and they look like you took them at twilight? Gives them all that wonderful feel to them. Great job! Have a super weekend.
@Denise:- you are welcome Denise, and thank you! Yep, I took the pics at twilight, which is the very best time to be on Brighton Pier
Oh, they DO look wild, don’t they! How. . . magical!
I chose carefully, too. Those creatures had personalities- I wanted just the right mix of spirit and kindness for our romp through wonderland.
My Dear Bird, I am stunned by these photos! I am not normally (as an adult a fan of carousels…well, like you said, I don’t feel the same magic in them that I did as a child. They often look garish and like MacDonald’s Golden arches!! LOL
BUT when I opened this page I was speechless! The strongest feeling here for me was I felt exactly how I did as a child when I saw a carousel. You have capture the COMPLETE magic of it, the emotion and alluring thrill I felt as a kid. I could feel tears at the back of my eyes as I looked at these photos.
The horses in these photos are alive, surging with some ancient power, filled with some unknown secret promise. These photos are Geographic quality in their movement, lighting and emotion. First rate! I am really stunned and have not seem a carousel look or “feel” like this since I was 4 or 5 years old.
I do think that someone else could have photographed this and not captured what you have. I think what you have captured here is a reflection of your own inner magical child. I know that may sound corny but I am very serious. I find these photos hauntingly beautiful!
The whole post touched something deeply inside me. That sense of child-wonder. Children often live in another world free of reason and conditioning. Unless they are conditioned or repressed they see magic in all of Life.
Thank you for moving me in this way.
It means a lot to me. You are a special human being!
Hugs,
Robin