ROBERT SNAP SPOT
Puddles, Brick and Reflection
Walking Reflection – Look first. Splash later.
Walking through Savannah’s historic district after a rain changes the pace of the street. The brick beneath my feet darkens, shallow puddles settle into uneven places, and familiar sidewalks begin reflecting things normally found overhead.
I look down to avoid the water—and unexpectedly find the sky.
I had been watching where I stepped. Then I realized I was looking at the sky beneath my feet.
We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.
– Taoist Proverb
THIS WEEK I NOTICED
A time of reflection is always there
Walking usually turns my attention outward—to buildings, flowers, people, light, and whatever might become the next photograph. But every so often something at my feet asks me to turn that attention inward.
A reflection does not show everything. It changes with the angle, the light, and the stillness of the water. Perhaps looking at ourselves is not so different. Sometimes we need to stop moving long enough for the surface to settle.
Before the Splash
Rainwater becomes a temporary mirror. Buildings turn upside down. Clouds settle between bricks. Occasionally, I appear there too.
For a moment the ordinary path becomes two places at once—the street I am walking and another world contained just below it.
Of course, there is another response to a puddle.
Step into it.
Stamp through it.
Send the reflection flying in every direction..
Even the smallest puddle reflects the sky.
Robert Smith
Before you splash, look once.
Then decide..
There is something wonderfully unreasonable about splashing through a puddle. Adults are trained to avoid wet shoes, muddy hems, and unnecessary mess. Children see an invitation.
Perhaps both instincts have something to teach us. Pause long enough to see the reflection—and every now and then, step right through it...
THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES
What did you see?
After the last rain, what was reflected back at you when you looked down? And did you stop long enough to see only the puddle—or something of yourself as well?
“Even the smallest puddle reflects the sky. Sometimes we only have to stop walking long enough to notice.”
— Robert
📍 Savannah, Georgia
Collection
Reflections
Captured with
Canon EOS Rebel
Published by
Robert Snap Spot
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