Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, USA

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania is hallowed ground. It was here that George Washington and his ragtag army toughed out a bitter winter. He rallied those troops despite the conditions and challenges that lay ahead. Today, there is a park where the troops formed their camp. A bicycle trail traces a path around the perimeter.

This building serves as offices for the nearby church. I’ve always liked it. The stonework is exceptional, the leaded glass windows stately. It’s located a bit close to the road. Still, if I could move it to another place, it would be a noble home. Behind it is a cemetery encased in mature, leafy trees. More hallowed ground.

Throughout the park, you’ll find replicas of the huts the Continental Army used as shelter. (You’ll also find plenty of deer. Be careful when driving through the area. The deer have a habit of jumping out at the last minute.) Here is a photo of the huts.

On this day, 7 years after the 9/11 attacks in New York, we should all be thankful for those who’ve made recent sacrifices as well as those who did more than 200 years ago in order to begin the United States of America. They risked their lives against the world’s superpower in 1776, suffered through winters like the one at Valley Forge, and ultimately prevailed. Are we willing to give it our all the way they did?

Published in: on September 11, 2008 at 10:27 am  Leave a Comment  
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Signpost in the Sand

This signpost stands on the edge of Palm Beach, Aruba, on the promenade by the Radisson Hotel. Check out all those places and distances. Maybe your home city is on there.

This post actually reminded me of the one that was frequently seen in episodes of MASH. I used to watch that show years ago. I remember the last episode and the one where the colonel died. They were poignant to say the least. These days I don’t watch much television so I don’t know if there is a comparable show on. For one thing, I despise these make-believe reality shows. Once in a while I’ll view pieces of the ones on Discovery like Deadliest Catch or Ice Road Truckers. Still, too much is over-dramatized. Please, there’s enough drama in the real world. You want to impress me, make me laugh. That’s a tough assignment.

Back to the signpost. It’d be nice if there were such things in life to point you in the right direction. Maybe there are. I can remember people giving me very good advice along the way (not that I always listened or heeded it). There are things like graduation ceremonies, promotions, demotions, epiphanies, and revelations. These are signposts of a certain kind. They mark a beginning or an end, deny or permit passage on to the next stage of life.

Perhaps the key is not so much to be looking for the sign, but rather to interpret it correctly when you find it. Believe it or not, there’s plenty of wisdom out there to be had. It comes in all forms from the Bible to your grandfather’s remarks. The question is, what do you do with it? What is important and what isn’t? That’s a more difficult assignment than the first one. And the trouble is, life keeps moving while you’re standing there contemplating your next move. There’s no “pause” button, no “rewind,” and certainly no “undo” function. Or maybe there is. After all, people reinvent themselves all the time. It takes courage and willpower to go down the right or wrong road and then make another turn without knowing exactly what the destination will be. The only thing that’s for certain is that it will be different. Whatever the case, it’s better than standing at the curb while the world passes by.

Published in: on September 4, 2008 at 10:52 am  Leave a Comment  
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Ask Your Past About The Future

Go back to the September after you graduated high school. Think of yourself at that time and place and all that you thought you knew. Now, if someone described your life as you now live it, would you have believed them? This question is about facts. A person simply tells you, “This is what your life will be like.” There are no judgments, no explanations, no clarifications. “This is it.”

I don’t think I would have believed that person, not even if I, myself, had come back to tell me. (Not sure on the grammar of that sentence but you know what I mean.) Seriously, my life has taken more detours than an alley cat, and all the while I was damn sure I was reading the signs correctly, but I never ended up where I thought I was going. Yes, life can be like that. It’s not necessarily bad. In fact, I think it’s good. There have been many more happy accidents than bad incidents, a fair number of good finds, and just a few encounters with tragedy and disaster.

Still, it makes me wonder just what’s in store for tomorrow, or next week, or ten years from now. I know people who are singularly driven toward a specific goal. They’re like a running back who’s headed for the end zone with the football. There are all types of obstacles in his way, but he’s focused on the touchdown. My question for people like this is not what happens if you don’t make it but what happens if you do make it. Then what? It’s sort of the old be careful what you wish for, you might get it – type of thing. Sure, you could head out for another score, maybe even another game, or retire to the stands. That’s fine. Just the same, sometimes the thrill of playing greatly exceeds the joy of winning.

I’ve thought about the great artists of history this way. When Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel, did he sit back with a cappuccino and think that he’d done the best work he ever would? I’d guess not, but then again, I’ve heard stories about people who realized their best work was behind them. I suppose this is true for athletes because eventually their bodies wear out. What about writers? Or painters? Or businessmen? Do you have just so many arrows in your quiver and when they’re gone, they’re gone?

I’ve strayed away from the premise of my original question. Coming back to it now, I’m imagining in the present that my future self has come back to tell me what my life is like twenty years in the future. I’m listening closely, nodding my head, accepting it all. The only thing I can conclude is that I’ll have to leave room in the schedule for plenty of unpredictable occurrences if I’m going to get to the place I will be twenty years hence.

Published in: on August 25, 2008 at 10:26 am  Leave a Comment  
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Creating Atmosphere, Part 2

And now we go inside two different cathedrals, each with its own particular atmosphere. The first one is the Cathedral in Seville, Spain. Construction began in 1402. Here Columbus is entombed. From this city sailed the conquistadors to a world unkown to Europeans, and this is a look at the interior of their massive center of worship.

Icons and statues stare down from every ledge. The space is darkened by shadows cast by the massive columns, one of which is under repair as seen on the right side of this photo. The weight of this building presses down relentlessly. The windows are relatively small as is typical of the gothic style, offering little light and no escape.

A much newer cathedral can be found in Madrid. This is the Almudena Cathedral, begun in 1883 and completed in 1993. It has an entirely different atmosphere.

Thanks to more modern building techniques, the windows are much larger, illuminating the entire space more evenly. The eye is drawn upward along columns that seem lighter thanks to the brighter color. Here’s another look.

The windows of the celestory at the top of the frame shine gloriously with the same warm sunlight that brings visitors from darker climes to Spain.

Both of these locations exude their own sense of space, presenting the visitor with two unique experiences. So it is in a good story. What are your favorite spaces? What places leave a dramatic impression on you? Let me know.

Published in: on July 3, 2008 at 10:15 am  Comments (4)  
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