Waterfalls

Standing at the edge of a waterfall, it is quite hard not to feel drawn over into its flow, in the same way as when you watch film of a roller coaster. Compelling, relentless, physical. It can be the same whenever you stand near people who have this sort of life force running through them. They just draw you along with them, because their colour stands out from grey crowds, and you just want to be where they are (as Lee Stringer describes).

These falls are Huka Falls in New Zealand. 160 cubic metres of water fall over this narrow lip every second, funnelled down a long, shallow gorge from Lake Taupo. I never remember statistics, but this always stayed, maybe because it made me think about the quantity of tears in the world (I was in NZ staying with friends working on the street kids book at the time). Maybe, though, because it also made me thankful for determined persistance, and hope. It made me think about being helpless, and about constant renewal, new life, fresh starts, and that life never, ever stops for a second. Watching this—and being around people who have relentless, infectious energy—makes it impossible to stand still. We need more waterfalls in our lives.

{Today's Soundtrack: Foals - Total Life Forever}