River Flow Long exposure photography is about blocking out or eliminated those parts of a scene not important to what is the essential message.  All of the distractions and noise around you is blocked out reducing the scene to what is important, what is essential to understand your environment.  By using this technique, you are forced to focus the mind on what is the essential element for the story, and then how to record it.  A fast-flowing river has much noise, turbulence, and distractions from everything taking place.  You must still your mind and really look at the river to see what is there before your eyes.  It is only then that the story is revealed.

It is much like life.  There is so much going on all around you every second of every day.  You are bombarded by the unimportant, the "noise of life" that you cannot concentrate on the important stuff.  Somehow you must close your mind to the noise all around you and focus on what is essential.  If you can do that, then you may find a state of bliss, of happiness, or at the very least a sense of calm.  For me, photography is a great help in training my mind to focus each day on what really matters.  For you, it might be building fine furniture in your spare time. Whatever it is, I hope you can block out the noise.