It would look like this,

Present:

Less than 48hours before it closes and I still haven’t started writing. I wonder why... Is it because I am busy thinking about all these things or is it just that I am being lazy? Or maybe I simply run out of things to say; I have been particularly normal and quiet today. No, that can’t be it! Writing for me is like a treasure island for a pirate. I may not know where to start but I am convinced that at the end there will be something valuable. So, of course, I will give it a try. But for the pirate to even start looking, she needs a map. I started looking for one.

The theme sounds particularly interesting, and the prize extremely motivating. I know I have to find the right picture. One that, like a map, will dictate the directions of this n-th expedition. So here I am, again, going through my Google photo gallery in the hope of finding the right one; the right picture to serve as the map of my story. And here it is... I mean, here they are waiting for me to lay my eyes on their wonders.

I know what you will think - they are just a regular pictures taken by an amateur of photography - and you are right. However, you will find that it requires the eyes of an art critic, to decipher a meaning. As I like to say, “it’s all in the eyes of the seer and the hands of the holder,” so let me walk you through my vision.

I remember taking these pictures a few months ago, during my road trip to Denver, Colorado...

Past:

Road trips, such fun experiences every time! Me driving by all these different landscapes, while listening to music... Only a few things can get me as happy as when I do this, so I want to keep a souvenir. It’s dusk and I have always liked the golden look of the sunset. It fills me with desperate romanticism. Well, romanticism is exactly the reason why I am on the road today so I see nothing wrong with the weather reflecting me. “It’s going to be such an amazing experience to spend these few days somewhere new, with someone I cherish dearly!”, I tell myself. I smile. My mind is full of good thoughts and, my heart full of love and hope. If I didn’t know, I would say that I am in some famous artist’s art painting. But I know I am not so it is for me to me make this vue known and make myself famous (why not?). Somehow I think this vue is iconic; I take a quick pic. One more. It’s crazy how technology has improved. Each one looks as real as reality...

Present:

I need to hurry, it closes today! That leaves me just enough time to take one last look at these pictures. As much as I would like them to bring back the heartwarming memories of my trip, I can’t help but see a representation of another reality. Time has passed, and with it, many other things. The cold of the winter, the colors of spring, the feel of certainty. Time has come to this: a season of heat full of maybes and what ifs. As I am looking at this picture today, I can’t help but see:

The sunset. The beginning of the night, reminding us the near end of the day; Just like the month of July marks the beginning of the second semester, reminding us the near end of the year.

The road. Leaving one place, leading to another. We started somewhere, now we are here. Like history, it doesn’t end here. There are many more miles before we reach the desired destination. There are many more days, weeks, months and years ahead.

The emptiness of the road. We were many to start and there were many who stopped. Only a few are still going. Like for any movement, not everyone who was there at the beginning will be there at the end. We part ways depending on our goals.

The lanes. Our goals, expectations, opinions, voices, beliefs which seem to be different, separated. Two lanes almost looking different in sizes reminding us of the differences we may see in each other, which, with a closer look, may not be differences at all.

The discontinued line. Like a story with missing parts. A story of history passed along since the beginning of times. Time affects the narratives told in and out, what could either reunite or separate us for good.

The semi-cloudy sky. Our judgements but also the atmosphere and sentiment of that something may or may not happen. A 50/50 percentage fueling the uncertainty inside of us.

The exit. The stage to ask ourselves these questions. Was what we left behind good enough for us to want it back? Is what’s laying ahead promising enough for us to keep on moving forward? Are we prepared for whatever the outcome will be?

The line where sky and earth meet. A thought full of the hope that our dreams and reality will be meeting soon. A thought giving us the will to keep moving forward even if that sounds like betting against all odds. A reason to take the risk.

« Different carefully picked elements from (alike) unframed photos assembled together (in my mind) into one big meaningful picture. »

I have thought of modifying these images, but it takes a lot to change one reality into a better one...