The article goes on to show an aerial photograph taken over a harbor in Wales that bears a remarkable similarity to a giant dolphin. Little wonder that the subtitle of the article read “Once Seen, It Cannot Be Unseen”.
It seems that a Colwyn Bay photographer named Rhys Jones, who has been taking drone photos as a hobby for the past two years, said he was amazed to see the likeness in an aerial picture he took over Pwllheli in Wales. Though he had taken his drone over the marina many times, this was the very first time that he noticed the aquatic appearance of the landscape.
Here is the picture as reported by numerous news organizations around the world…
I like what one person jokingly asked: “Was this created on porpoise?”
Jones’ other pictures, including aerial photos of double rainbows, castles, highways, landscapes, towns and villages have gained a lot of interest from locals on his Facebook page, Pwllheli Drone Photos.
As impressive as the picture is, I must admit that what first caught my attention was the phrase contained within the subtitle: “Once Seen, It Cannot Be Unseen”. I had heard this phrase before, but had not given it all that much thought. But ever since I first read the article earlier in the day, I have had little else on my mind.
As I reflect on my life, I recognize that many an image has been burned into my mind. The vast majority of them I am thankful to recall… fond memories of my childhood, the first time I saw my future wife, the birth of my three children, etc…
But there are also a few memories I have of things I wish I had never seen... a dead pet lying in the road, a friend in the act of betraying me, an unfaithful girlfriend, etc…
While on a trip to Israel several years ago, we spent over a week visiting most of the major Biblical sites the country has to offer. It just so happened that out tour culminated with a visit to the Knesset, the Shrine of the Book (built to house the Dead Sea Scrolls), and one last stop at the Holocaust Museum.
I am glad we made the last stop. I learned a lot as I toured the museum. But I respect the statement made by one man on the tour. When I discovered that he desired to stay on the bus and not participate in the tour, I asked why. His response was that he felt terrible about what had happened to the Jews of Europe in World War Two. But this was the one and only time he would visit the Land of the Bible, and he did not want all his wonderful memories acquired there to be punctuated with the sad memory of that tragic event.
One can debate the rightness or wrongness of his stance. That is not the point here. What is the point here? It is that we all have certain memories that we are glad we have, even as we have certain other memories that we wish we did not retain.
For my part, I have seen and my mind has recorded enough bad things. I think from this point onward, I too will do my best to take in more favorable memories and avoid acquiring less favorable ones. In the end, I’ll likely be better off for it.
One cannot help but wonder if the Apostle Paul thought along these lines. After, in the midst of a passage bout finding peace, he makes these statements to the believers at Philippi (chapter 4, verses 4-9):
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Clearly, our peace of mind is connected to what all we think about. And given that so much of what we think about has to do with what we see and hear and gets recorded in our memory, then surely it behooves us to guard our eyes and ears!
STORY SOURCE:
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/amazing-likeness-dolphin-seen-drone-photography-wales.
PICTURE SOURCE:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-65702555.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE:
https://biblehub.com/niv/philippians/4.htm.