Just a quick question this week, my friends: Where does your focus belong right now?

It’s a question that woke me up. As a photographer I have lenses that are good at different jobs – ones that focus close, ones that can bring distant subjects into view, and ones that let you choose wide (the whole landscape) or close focus (one bird). As the person behind the camera, I have the choice.

And life is kind of that way, too. I can choose where my attention is focused. It’s not unusual for something I hear about, or see, or read to set off a nerve. Heaven knows, there is enough stuff screaming for attention from every media outlet, every news feed, every radio program. The idea that poking me right now is – where do I want to focus? I can only use one lens at time. Where do I want it to point? To the irritants? Or to the positive things I can do, right here, whatever else is out there in the world?

For right now, today, this minute – I’m focused on what’s near, what I can change, the people I can reach now. By starting where I am, who knows where else I might go. Somehow, even though that seems unambitious, it settles something inside to allow that making a difference within my reach is still a difference to be made.

Vive la difference, dear friends.

Stay tuned for more on the Here’s a Quarter blog next week! As always, your thoughts and comments are always welcome – they are moderated (I know – adulting again), so they may take a little while to appear, but I read them all and appreciate that you were here. Thank you!

My new story collection is now available: Dog Days . I’d love to hear your thoughts if you check it out!