Age is Relative!

I am approaching another birthday and dealing with some routine aches of aging. I remember hearing someone say he/she loved collecting antiques because it put them in close association with older things that had aged beautifully and with character. We have some pieces of furniture from Bob's great-grandparents, given to them for their wedding in the late 19th century. I feel younger and humbled in their presence.

Yesterday I was once again trying to see just what my digital camera was capable of and tried the ultra-close or "Flower" mode to try and capture the interior of a small (1" tall by 1/2" in thick) piece of Baltic Amber that we brought back from Estonia last summer. With a little help from our desktop Ott light, I managed to capture its inner history. Experts estimate the age of amber, from that particular region, at around 40 million years. Inside this one are five insects that we can recognize: a spider, a mosquito and three smaller or partial "winged" things plus a couple of indistinguishable blobs--possibly decayed matter.
This small piece the size of my thumb carries within it unbelievable stories. Yes, I feel younger--and a bit insignificant in the greater scheme of things.

Comments

[Fran]

Great photo and insightful writing, Deb. I, too, find myself honored in the presence of artifacts and antiques. If only they could talk. What would they say?