Determination - Lover’s Leap

I came to this spot more than ten times, hoping to see a sunset. The perfect backdrop to the beautiful rock formation: Lover’s Leap in El Dorado County. For about 6-9 months, I had been constantly checking the forecast in this area. When it said “partly cloudy,” it wouldn’t be enough, or they would all go away by the time the sun would set. When it said, “cloudy,” it would be too cloudy and I would get nothing. No matter what, I could never seem to get what I wanted. Sometimes I would even cancel plans with people because the clouds seemed good, just to leave with nothing. 

“Have I reached insanity?” I had to ask myself after the 7th or 8th time. I keep doing the same thing, hoping for a different result. I have become the very definition of the term. But despite all this, I just couldn’t let it go. 

This day started like any other. The forecast seemed favorable for a good sunset, so naturally, I just had to try again. I made the two-hour drive from my house, parked my car, and braced myself for what could be. Would this be another failure like all the others? Or would this finally be the day I see it? I grab my camera bag, and make the short walk over to the spot over looking the rock formation. I’ve been here so often it almost feels like a second home. I get my camera out, sit on the same rock I always do, and I wait. The clouds are full, but there is enough break that it should light up. But all of a sudden, all the gaps start closing up, and they start to look like storm clouds. The clouds are low and moving fast, “oh no, I think this is going to be another failure,” I say to myself. Then all of a sudden, a little light gets through and I get a light show unlike any other. Teals and oranges fill the sky. I can’t believe what I am seeing. I start snapping as many photos as I possibly can, for the clouds are moving so fast, I doubt it will last long. And sure enough, it was gone in less than a minute. 

I never saw a sunset, but I saw something better, something more unique and colorful than what I set out for. I have never seen a sky like this, and I wonder if I ever will again. Sometimes we try and we try and we try, and end up with nothing. We may even question our sanity because of it. "Did I make the right choice? Am I just another failure?" We may say to ourselves. Then despite the odds, we try one more time, and all of a sudden it works, and it may be even better than what we hoped for. Perseverance against all odds, will produce results.