Good morning. ⛈️🌩️☁️26 September 2025The Rock That WaitsDo you ever spot a smooth rock and just pick it up, take it home without ceremony? I have one around here somewhere—a smooth brown stone I’ve kept for years. I once toyed with the idea of buying a rock polisher and buffing it to a glossy perfection. That hasn’t come to pass, mostly because my office already hosts enough stray ambitions.This rock isn’t one of those fancified pet rocks that breeders peddle. No, mine is wild-born, unvarnished, and now—somehow—part of the family. You might think it’s a victim of neglect. After all these years, I haven’t polished it. I haven’t even given it a name.Hmm 🤔 Now I’m starting to feel bad. It’s just a small rock—not quite a pebble—but when I glance up, I see it peeking at me from the middle shelf of my desk. That makes me feel worse. I imagine that if it had eyes, they’d be sad.Maybe it’s time to name it. Ernie, perhaps? Do you think Ernie is a lonely name?A few months ago, my wife picked up another rock and gave it to me. It was such a magnanimous gesture, I had no choice but to adopt it. Though now, I seem to have lost track of that second stone. It may be lurking somewhere in the house, waiting for me to stumble across it like a forgotten heir.I’m not without feelings, you know. If—or when—I find the rock my wife gave me, I’ll place it beside Ernie. That way, they’ll have companionship. A quiet alliance. A shelf-bound fellowship."The naming of things is a serious matter.” — Wallace Stevens"To name a thing is to invite it into your story.” — John O’Donohue (paraphrased“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” — T.S. Eliot#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #morning #clouds #rocks #names #ramble