Sojourn Chronicles

After decades of making notes and observations, it’s time to publish some of these scribblings.

I have two interest areas for writing and photography. One is as a journalist covering small towns and rural issues. Perhaps the interest, or fascination, comes from having been born in a small town, or working in or serving rural areas. This rural journalistic coverage continues in a new effort at www.RuralChronicles.com: news, information and commentary for small towns and rural life.

The second interest area goes back much farther in my history. Through the years, I have written prose, essays, and short pieces of writing for a little entertainment and enlightenment. The focus of this endeavor, DBrent’s Sojourns, is to publish some of that material and to write about the human quest for a meaning for our lives.

There is something to be learned in our daily walks. Our mundane, ordinary, routine lives hold not only interesting stories, but also valuable lessons if only we look. It’s like this: You don’t really notice all the “for sale” signs in front of houses on your travel to work until you start to look for houses for sale. Life lessons can be like that—they are sitting right in front of you waiting to be noticed.

There are life experiences that garner insights to our humanness. There can be fulfillment in understanding our connections to one another. Just like studying a photograph or a painting, if we reflect long enough, it may provide some enlightenment. On the other hand, it can be so abstract that meaning passes us by. Maybe that’s a lesson—that we don’t have to understand everything!

There are plenty of stories to be told, and photographs to make. In the search for that meaning, perhaps we shall discover understanding. It is not the destination, it is the journey—a sojourn. Sometimes the journey is a walk through the neighborhood after dinner, or working in the flower beds. Sometimes the journey is a flight to a conference or a train trip home. Some of my favorite sojourns have been on a motorcycle. Sometimes, it is a simple photograph that gives us joy. DBrent’s Sojourns takes a journey to a slightly higher plane, more meaningful, maybe even spiritual.

These scribblings will come often, and occasionally with photos. If you like what you read or see here, please consider buying a fine art photographic print to help support this endeavor. There is more photography to look at on www.DBrent.com, home of D. Brent Miller Photography. 

Lastly, here is something for you to reflect upon. I produced the items below on a “bookmarker” several years ago. People commented how much it inspired them. 

• Read a good book.
• Explore beyond your world.
• Learn about other places.
• Write in your journal.
• Take a photo.
• Share with others.
• Make a difference.

Thanks for a moment of your time. I hope you have found something here for you.—DBrent