I am now halfway through my 70th year here on the planet, and I can see which way the world is turning. I have witnessed the effects of progress. There is now no denying the effects of progress and its effect on climate change in the world today.

It feels like we are spiraling out of control after being hurled forward, unidirectionally, at an unstoppable speed. I guess that is exactly what the world is physically.

It is not only climate change. There is the war in Ukraine, the struggle for world power by the autocrats of the world and the wannabe autocrats in the US. There are the mass shootings in the United States. I am writing this on January 25, 2023, and there have been 45 already this year (according to Wikipedia), which means that there are more mass shootings than there are days in the year. It has now become a daily event. A “normal” daily experience?

In my series from Sicily, you can see for yourself that the old nickname “Sun-drenched Sicily” no longer applies, but it gave me an uncommon view of the island. The low-slung canopy of dark, heavy clouds gave the images unnatural colors and feeling.

In light of all the negativity that is happening in the world today, I don’t struggle with finding the uncompromising beauty this world has to offer, not just in the mountains where I live, but everywhere I travel to. Whether it is a breathtaking scene or an intriguing individual, I am looking for what is right in the world: the inspiring, exquisite beauty and wonderment that the world still has to offer us.