Today marks one week since I returned to days of habit after my ten-day retreat to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Every time I return to that area, I locate a special sense of soul rejuvenation. This year was a bit different than previous years. Rather than hitting the road for a daily dose of off the beaten path exploratory field trips, I anchored myself to the cabin by the lake for a week.
Read MoreAmerica
A Morning of Levels /
I sipped coffee by the lake this morning just to process this day infamously and always to be known as 9/11. Sitting in the Blue Ridge sunshine, I remembered watching the events of that morning. It remains a day of horrors as the world changed and unfolded minute by minute. Despite the ugliness of the day, the heroes were the winners - the coworkers, the bystanders, the emergency response personnel, the nurses, the single parents, the teachers, the rich, the poor, the hurting, and the Average Joe.
Read MoreValued Upbringing /
Pouring a fresh cup of coffee, I thought about my morning discoveries. None of them really came as a surprise. I’ve always been respectful, protective, and frugal with my belongings. I’m certain that my Daddy had something to do with that. He was a tinkerer. Not for the hobby of it, but as a means to keep things working. We were a working class family, which doesn’t mean we didn’t have nice things. We just didn’t have an abundance of them. What we had, we took care of because disposable was not in our vocabulary.
Read MoreCasting a Line. Catching a Day. /
As we stood there talking, I remembered how my father used to love to fish and how he would prepare his fresh catch with a clean and precise filet knife. I asked Herbert if he filleted his fish. “Oh no” he replied. I just cuts 'em down the back and pan fry 'em till they’re lightly brown. That's all I do."
Read MoreSigns /
My morning hours were decorated with signs of all kinds.
From breakfast sandwich special offers, to signs of direction, faith, sales, political banter, and even a bumper sticker on the car in front of me announcing, “I pooped today.” America loves signs. With all of the continual flow of economic and safety headlines, the signs from the moment I captured this image were telling: Gun Show, Firewood For Sale, and Nascar.
The only sign that appeared to be missing was a welcome mat.
Motion of Peace /
Standing ©2013 Gary Garbett
Days from the last week were not for memorializing the bitters of the past, but rather a celebration of the forward motion of peace.
believing in believing /
Paper Ornaments
A number of Christmases ago, finances were extremely difficult.
That particular year, the children and I made handmade ornaments with paper, crayons, white glue, glitter, sequins, and ribbon to decorate our truly meager tree. Hours later, we stepped back from the dusting of glitter on the floor to take a look at our Christmas tree. It was beautiful and I know that because of it, Santa was able to find us that year.
For twenty years, I've displayed that very same tree every year… along with all of it's memories and an occasional fluttering of stray glitter.
Yes, I believe.
Santa Came
Misfits
big hurricane and a little camera /
A Sandy Olympus ©2012 Gary Garbett
Hurricane Sandy and a Camera: I've been looking for an #Olympus OM series camera for a while. This one is gorgeous. The package arrived today, five days after the auction closed. Everything, including a second lens and a flash was extremely well packaged and securely boxed. You never really know just what you may get from an online auction until the package actually arrives. I won the auction for this 1979 OM-2n on Sunday evening and paid for it immediately. In less than 24 hours from the time I submitted payment, Hurricane Sandy would make a devastating attack of the Northeast, pummeling New York and New Jersey.
Ben, the seller of the camera, lives in Staten Island, NY. After watching the fallout that Sandy left behind, my excitement for a camera was quickly replaced by an honest concern for a community and for Ben. I've read the stories, seen the photos, and watched the news. The horror is simply that. Horror. I'd ruled out any possibility of ever receiving the package and to be quite honest, was perfectly fine with that. The price of a camera was unimportant. I just hoped that Ben and his family were safe.
I returned home this afternoon after running several errands to find a package waiting for me. It was sitting on my stoop in the warmth of the sunshine. The return address read Staten Island and the postmark was October 29, 2012, the very day that Sandy made landfall. I was shocked. Knowing that this little camera came from an area of such devastation just a few days ago and now it's new home is in the calm of autumn a few hundred miles south is nearly unimaginable.
A person's character speaks greater words than any that ever come from their mouth. On Monday, just hours before Sandy's arrival, I'm sure that Ben had far more important things to do than worry about getting a package in the mail. Once again, character speaks volumes. My thoughts and prayers go out to Ben and all those affected by this disaster. Please let me know if I can do anything to help.
Peace and goodness to all.
A Sandy Olympus ©2012 Gary Garbett