Well, this isn't exactly "abstracting reality," but it does reflect a heightened awareness of what is around me. Every day I wake up with a hunger to see things with new eyes. Sometimes that translates into an abstract image, but more often not. That's OK. Changing one's habitual ways of seeing the world takes time. And time is what I intend to devote to this study of Phil Douglis's teachings on Expressive Photography. The hardest part is undertaking my studies in such a public way. But all I have to lose is my pride, and that is falling away day by day. To be a student is to admit that you don't have the answers, that you have much to learn, that you are determined to grow. This is good. At 65, I am ready to begin again.