This thought ran across my mind as we were whizzing past the roads of Mpumalanga, en route to Graskop, on 22-Nov-09. When I looked at the first rays of Sun, it reminded me of how boys are when they're two years old. They're young, they're new, and they're just starting to give a glimpse of their infinite energy.
First rays of Sun, Mpumalanga, South Africa, 5:08 AM, 22-Nov-09
And as they grow up into an adolescents and then adults, the display of their energy seems to mimic the course of Sun's light on a typical day - it grows and grows and then reaches its peak, when it burns bright and overshadows everyone and everybody else - like an 18-year-old boy who considers himself on top of the world. Thereupon, like a 25-something adult entering his 30s, Sun's rays begin to calm down, get more relaxed, and start feeling pleasant. The evening Sun, especially during moments just before sunset, looks like a ball of wisdom, like an old, ageing man, who can no longer burn bright, but holds much sense and wisdom.
Rays of a young, growing boy, Blyde river, Mpumalanga, Age unknown
And that's how I compare the course of a typical day to the lifecycle of a young boy...
