Stop, listen and look

[TIL 14bis - from the archive] Taking life lessons from a road sign

In Lisbon, we’re nearing the end of the season of jacarandas.

This is the 5th week in the month, so I’m taking a break from my little editorial schedule to re-run an old article.

The Tales of Ink and Light intertwine words and photographs to bring you unique stories and poems.

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On a train trip to the North of Portugal, i was messing about trying to start a project to explore what the world would look like when seen from a moving train. As i was looking at the moving landscape, i spotted a road sign. A narrow dirt road came out of a village to meet the tracks. At the crossing, the only signalisation was a wonky, dusty road sign that read: stop, listen and look.

Weeks later, walking in the Marvila neighbourhood of Lisboa, i left the main road to follow a footpath and soon came across a railway. Standing straight and bright, a sign warned: in the absence of indication in the (sound) signals, stop, listen and look.

Some time before, i had seen the same words — pare escute olhe — serving as the title for an exhibition of drawings in the Cultural Center of Cascais. After seeing the photo exhibition that had brought me there, i took some time to look at the drawings. The artist, if i remember correctly, had often heard these words uttered by one of his professors.

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Stop

Listen

Look

Pay attention to the world around you. Pay attention to the moment. That is the simple, gentle way into better photographs — and a better life, too. How often do i need to be reminded?

I’ve seen an administrative cautionary notice double as a philosophical reminder. And here i am, taking life lessons from a road sign.

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Thank you for reading the Tales of Ink and Light. It’s great to have you on board.