94 – Reflection *

Special thanks to Janet for providing the photographs. Janet is in Arizona and I encourage readers to visit her at This, That and the Other Thing, Please tell her I sent you and feel free to comment on her images here. All photos are copyrighted by Janet Webb.

Click the video above for 2 minutes of background waves while reading.

I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

Today is a bright and sunny afternoon. As I walk past shells, sunlight reflecting off their glossy inner surface directs glimmers that catch my eye. I can also see beams of light reflecting off the water. I’m confident that as the sun lowers, a streak of reflected light will display a sparkle across the water.

If the sky remains clear after the dark of night arrives, I imagine moonlight beams providing a streak of reflecting light on the water. I chuckle at the thought because the moon does not produce light, but reflects light from the sun that will be shining on people elsewhere during my night.

I think about how we use mirrors in our life. Mirrors – those smooth surfaces of coated glass reflecting light so we can see a reversed image. The most obvious is the bathroom mirror that allows us to see ourselves for many reasons.

Other mirrors in our homes serve as decorative reflections. Three mirrors in our vehicles increase the driver’s awareness of their surroundings while keeping their heads relatively forward. We use shaped and positioned mirrors in parking garages to see around a corner. The same is true in many stores.

Sounds reflect off surfaces – even as echoes. We notice the difference in the sound quality of a concert in a large sports arena to one in a concert hall. After all, engineers designed these grand halls to maximize sound quality while minimizing echoes.

I think about sonar and radar that work on the same principles of reflection as mirrors and sound. That is, the angle of incoming waves is equal to the angle of outgoing reflection.

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As a science teacher, I knew the English teachers emphasized reflective writing. They told me that reflective writing is the foundation of all writing. That is, writing documenting thoughts and feelings. I would counter by asking about writing to convey information, writing to offer solutions, writing for persuasion because no boss wanted to know my feelings. They said we science teachers should teach that type of writing. I countered that if I was qualified to teach writing, there would be less need for English teachers.

I think about the importance and role of reflective writings as a journal and a diary. Both have a place and can be useful tools for a person.

I think about the professional reflections I did for myself. As a lesson designer, I filled every lesson with notes for improvement for the next time. My method of immediately documenting was something I did for continuous improvement. They were reflections based on my observations of comments and actions of students and colleagues.

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Reflections have many purposes – self-improvement, learning, analysis, evaluation, communication, and yes – even examining feelings. There is no one-size-fits-all method, process, or even set rules for reflections. Honest engagement is probably the most important aspect.

I always remember these words from a professional mentor: “To think about what you are thinking about.”

Maybe the simplest reflection is recalling memories. But for me, reflection is more than simple recall because there must be an added perceptive of relative context, purpose, and examination.

Now I wonder: Are my beach walks a series of reflections? After all, the beach environment relaxes and stimulates my brain for deep thoughts – to think about what I’m thinking about. I say yes. Others say not – but that’s OK.

Deep personal reflection is important as a time for self-examination, introspection, and guiding progress. In this sense, the beach walks are not personal reflections. Then again, that’s also OK.

From time to time, Beach Walk Reflections will include random personal reflections from my past – possibly focusing on a less specialized topic – Walks with a title as Reflections followed by a number.

No matter how simple or complex, reflection is worth thinking about – and the beach is as good a place as any for them. Whether these walks are reflections does not take away the fact that I like walking on the beach because it is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

See what other bloggers have posted about Reflection

• Reflections (essay and photos by a visitor & collaborator here)
• Beach Reflections (poetry and photos)
• Autumn Reflections (haiku, a paragraph, and photos)
• Sunday Reflections: Happiness (short essay and photos)
• Heron Reflection (painting and poem)
• True Reflections (short story challenge by a visitor here)
• Orange Reflections (photo by a visitor & photo collaborator of this post)

Next Post: Fluids – Tuesday 30 November @ 1 AM (Eastern US)