Ruminator

Photo by: Tim Bindner I hiked, I shot some wonderful photos and had great conversations with a friend. The woods provided me sanctuary today. Today was the first day since last spring that I hiked at O’Bannon Woods State Park. This place has an abundance of ticks, and also bow hunting season has begun, so I was nervous. Mark arrived a bit before 8am, and we drove his Jeep through the thick fog toward the State Park. No attendant was at the gate, so we slowly drove past the shack and made our way toward the campground. I had a planned route in mind, and the first location we visited was new to Mark. That is a rarity that anywhere I go he has not already been to. The leaves have begun to change in my area, though there was still plenty of foliage to hamper views of the surrounding forest. It was 41 degrees and Mark and I were walking down an old gravel road mainly used by horseback riders, hikers and an occasional official forestry vehicle. To make things even more spectacular, we had fo...

Photo by: Tim Bindner Marcie told me she might join me for a hike this morning. I hoped she would, and honestly was surprised when she got up at 7:00 am on a Sunday morning. Marcie likes to sleep in, especially on Sundays. As I write this, she is currently in bed taking a nap. Today’s destination is Charlestown State Park, and the trail is the Rose Island Trail Loop. Marcie has never been there, but Mark and I have. I was excited to show Marcie this location. You can read a bit more about Rose Island here , but I will prove a few facts before I describe our outing. In the early 1920s David Rose bought the location, added a swimming pool, cabins, a zoo and an amusement park. He spent a quarter of a million dollars on the construction. The park was over 100 acres. Access to the park was mainly done via a steamboat called Idlewild (later named the Belle of Louisville). What is left today is only a few columns, foundations, the pool (filled in with gravel) and may signs explaining the loca...

Photo by: Tim Bindner I recently received some feedback that my blogs are negative or I think the word that was used was “dark”. I also was told that the “photography” posts “lose me and I tune out”. Today I will not cover either theme. October 16 th is my wedding anniversary. I spent today doing things I enjoyed. I began the morning, waking up early (4am but left the house at 7am), to meet Mark at a park I had never been to. Chapel Lake Park was my new destination. I pulled into the park at 7:31am and saw Mark’s Jeep already parked. I pulled into the parking spot next to him, unloaded, said good morning, and off we went. As we started on the paved path that skirted around the lake, the 51 degree temperature and strong breeze provided a chill in the air. The sun was rising behind us, and I turned to grab the picture above. The tree presented here is on a hill overlooking the lake and has been claimed by Mark, but I was given permission this day to shoot it. He is so kind. We walked, ...

Photo by: Tim Bindner Are you angry or just disappointed? Do you know the difference? As humans, we automatically fall to basic emotions when something happens. If something does not happen as you expected, most of us become angry about it. If you expect an outcome and it does not go the way you expected, most people get upset or angry about it. Let’s think about this for a second. If the outcome is not what you expected but still a viable outcome that is legitimate, then that is disappointment, not anger. If there was, let’s say, unfairness involved that skewed the outcome, then anger is justified. Why is differentiating this important? As a parent, friend, significant other, etc. you will be more helpful if you understand the true feeling and source of that feeling. Anger is toxic, disappointment is more rational. When someone is angry, they say, do, and act many times without thinking. It is a basic instinct. These actions usually lead to tension with others, wrong things being said...

Photo by: Tim Bindner My last post apparently stirred up some things, and got people thinking, as I received more than my normal amount of feedback and comments. One comment sparked me to continue the topic in this post. I mentioned in the post Too Busy that people prioritize things and sometimes contact with others is not a top priority. I am asking for your feedback on my thoughts here. In most people’s work functions, people are bombarded by emails, and often phone calls via meeting or direct contact with clients. Others even have to communicate via text. Is it possible that the lack of communication with ‘friends’ is not truly a matter of priority, but that we spend most work days talking to others we care less about so much that they don’t have the energy, motivation or desire to do so after work? When I started at Humana, my first role was a customer service representative that took inbound calls. I averaged between 80-100 calls a day. When I got home, I never wanted to talk on ...

Photo by: Tim Bindner I have been thinking about my blog lately and what direction I want to take it in. I will explain my purpose and also some recent feedback about my posts. I started this blog back in 2017 to write about my experiences while hiking. It has stuck to that simple premise, but has morphed to include my photography, battle with mental health, and discussions on various topics that are prevalent in my mind at the moment of writing. My goal has NEVER been to influence, or change, anyone’s mind on the various subjects I write about. They are my opinion, based on my knowledge of the subject and research or experience I have with the subject. I have never claimed to be an expert at anything, but if I write about something, I am giving the reader my honest opinion. Over the years, my readership has changed. Some that were there from the beginning still are, while others have come and gone. I understand that is part of the growth of any medium, including blogs. I have received...