Looking Deep

This photo was taken on January 24th, 2020 in Ridgecrest, California. I used a measly 8mp camera and a pre-installed filter named 'Palma' to edit on a very cracked screen. My cheap prepaid phone is one of four phones I have had in the past three months. Let us just say material items and I have not been meshing very well.

The sign came to mind when I first saw this challenge on Vocal. After a visit to the local historical society I found out the artist (Skip) owns a metal shop in town. Skip calls this “The Horseshoe Sign.” If you approach it closely you will find locks attached to the horseshoes. Skip described the locks as his rendition on an idea of two lovers symbolically “locking their love together, then throwing the key in a river.” He said it was an idea he discovered while traveling in France. On top of the sign are seventeen locations including national parks with the exact mile distance to get there. You will also find a heart shaped box for the keys, due to the fact that there are no rivers in Ridgecrest, California.

The reason why I chose this particular image is because of how it speaks to me. Not only do I feel like the turtle crawling slowly to the top, the eagle soaring above, the sun in background, or the love locks… It inspired me to show others the beauty I found by meditating upon the idea of direction. We all have the potential to choose our own.

I ask myself, how did I end up in a city of thirty thousand people in the middle of the desert with a Naval Air Weapons Station that stretches all the way to Nevada? The truth is, prior to living in Ridgecrest I had lived and worked as a model and an actor in Los Angeles since 2016. At the start of 2019 I left for Wisconsin (where I was born) to pursue music at a deeper level. But I ended up losing sight of my dreams in bad habits.

In October 2019 I came back to Los Angeles to try and get back on track. Then I made the mistake of leaving my vehicle unlocked in Venice while I ran inside quickly. After a minute or two I walked out the door and my vehicle was gone along with everything I owned. I was homeless at the time so it was my home. My luck in life had run out indefinitely that day.

When my vehicle was stolen my brother came and picked me up. He is in the Navy and was stationed in Ridgecrest a year ago. I owe everything to him and everyone who stuck with me through the most challenging year of my life so far. I lost every material item besides my guitar and a few pairs of clothes and it showed me that life waits for nobody. It is up to myself and all of us to create our paths.

I slacked off for an entire year after I bought that vehicle and a part of myself believes this time has been allotted for a reason. I didn't appreciate money or the people around me. In a way, this was the best thing that could have happened to me. Now, I have gained the power to grow on my path in life being granted this peace of mind. Direction can be frightening, yet, beautiful.

I appreciate the opportunity to share a part of my journey, Skip for creating beautiful art, Vocal, and everyone reading this.