Beautiful or ugly?

Journal

February 9, 2020

Beautiful or ugly? I have asked myself this question several times last week.

Monday, I was in The Hague. A city where I left because I was done with it. I thought the city was ugly, grey and too busy. Although I sometimes miss the beach. Last Monday was the first time in a while I was back and took some time to wander around. Lo and behold, I found some beautiful spots again. After all, it seems I probably didn’t think the city was ugly, I was just bored with it.

I also had to be in IJmuiden later in the week. Because I had to be there at 8 ‘o clock in the morning I decided to go there the evening before and stay over. When planning my route, I could choose, through the city or along the North Sea Channel. On that second route you pass the steel plant at the other side of the Canal. Very ugly!! But at night it is actually rather beautiful as well, with all those lights that twinkle like friendly stars.

And yes, I know it is not good for the environment (ugly). At the sime time I realise I need steelplants like this since I drive a car with steel in it and have all sorts of other things with iron as an ingredient. The tricky thing about iron is that it doesn’t come out of the ground just like semi-finished products, so it has to happen somewhere. Then it better be here in the Netherlands where the rules are strict (for this instance beautiful).

Like an Angry Toddler on Steroids

Finally, the dreary weather today. The rain slashes in my face and the wind tugs on my coat and pants like an angry toddler on steroids and makes my hair act like a purple minion. So tell me is the weather beautiful or ugly? After this description you might scream at your screen right now: ugly!!! But this weather also has its charm. With this stormy weather I love visiting the Dutch coast.

The high waves that crash on the piers with an endless enthusiasm and energy make me feel wonderfully insignificant. The top layer of the drenched beach dries quickly in the wind and that same wind plays with this thin layer of dry sand. It swirls, streams and blasts along the turbulent sea giving the beach a soft-looking (beautiful) but viciously biting (ugly) blanket.

The gloomy sky and strong wind seem ugly, but if you look closely, the sky has many more than 50 shades of gray and the clouds form impressive shapes. The wind seems annoying, but what is -in that moment- more fun than leaning against the wind and chasing the leftover autumn leaves like an exuberant child. Or you can just enjoy the space the wind gives and feel the change it brings. Even ugly weather is beautiful.

My lesson for this week? Always look for the beauty in something that initially seems ugly. Just look a little longer and you’ll discover something of beauty. You’ll notice that all things ugly have a beautiful side if you look for it, and sometimes more than one!

#beautiful #ugly #ijmuiden #steelplant #storm #stormciara