Once upon a time families could travel across America on Route 66 and make stops in small towns along the way for ice cream and burgers.
Today, that is no longer the case as the old roadway is either grown over or completely removed in certain areas.
However, in some small towns you still travel on Route 66 which was once the main artery through a bustling town. While the road may still be the main thoroughfare, the businesses along the way show that towns are no longer alive and well.
TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO: Paradise Café, once a stopping point for great burgers and a tank full of fuel in the 1950’s. The location also became the site of the Paradise Motel. However, fire took the motel while vandalism eventually took the small gas station and restaurant. Both, are now a memory along the scenic Route 66.
While the old route is filled with abandonment, the foundations still remind us of the past.
“Memories and thoughts age, just as people do. But certain thoughts can never age, and certain memories can never fade.”
Route 66 was once the main artery through the desert lands of the west leading to the metropolis of Chicago.
The route was dotted with only a handful of mom and pop gas stations along the way. Some still standing while others fall in decay and are now abandoned.
"Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.” — Emma Chase
People leave places and memories for so many reasons, some still owning the old and afraid to fully let go of it. Others leave and never need or want to look back.
American sociologist and Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley Robert N. Bellah stated, “Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves."
When you leave something or someone / they leave you and you held tightly to it for decades, you never fully leave and it is always hidden in your grasp... You just quit voicing the memory and that is okay to have that history - just don't live there.
Photo: Abandoned 55 miles from Nashville in the countryside of Bedford County, TN
“Good morning neighbor, hello friends,” he said as people passed by failing to notice him or to listen to his music.
Despite the blind tourist, he continued to play, “One love, one heart Let's get together and feel all right...”
His message was simple, yet too complex for the outside world to grasp. Everything from his songs of coming together to his note that was taped to his guitar that read, “Restore the Black Community,” he was all about coming together.
In his old and worn guitar case river rocks held three dollars down that some had carefully placed. The case like his guitar, appeared to have seen better days. Regardless, it held the musical instrument just right and the guitar itself told a story only he knows and remembers.
His name of Yehoshua is often spelled Jehoshua. If you look deeper you will see that even his name has a message.
Jehoshua was a figure in the Jewish Torah and also the central person referred to in the Book of Joshua.
In the Book of Joshua, he gives a speech about what must be done for Israel to live in peace. God commissioned Joshua to take possession of the land and warned him to keep not only faith, but outlined the need for obedience to the law.
“Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (one love). There is one question I’d really like to ask (one heart) - Is there a place for the hopeless sinner - Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?”
Normally, one would say that a graduation was a packed house. In this case, graduation was a packed homeless camp.
A Rutherford County, TN Judge did something a little different last Friday afternoon...
Judge Barry Tidwell held a Mental Health Court Graduation outdoors at a homeless camp in Murfreesboro. A man by the name of Thomas graduated after a lengthy, yet successful completion of the courses offered by the Rutherford County Judicial System.
Thomas became homeless after his mother died a few years ago. Apparently, her home was foreclosed on and he was pushed to the streets.
Despite living in the woods, Thomas made his campsite as nice as possible by adding landscaping, a rock path, plants deliberately placed and more. His camp was welcoming and clean.
“Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.” - Joel Osteen
If you like to argue and get nowhere, then search out this fella in Washington DC. He is parked inside his tent of humanity across from the White House. You may even agree with him, but he will still find at least one conspiracy theory that proves you wrong – which would prove him wrong if he agrees and then disagrees with you.
“People’s minds are changed through observation and not through argument.”
Below: Same tent, different person on shift in year 2015, February.
Standing in front of the White House with signs in hand mentioning North Korea and South Korea spelled as "Corea" is no mistake.
Sure, I could have read deeper into the small protest of two, but I was more confused as to why “Korea” was misspelled – or was it?
The accepted push for such a change from “K” to “C” was given the nod of Korean Scholars and Politicians as a drive to make the English spelling begin with the "C" instead of the "K."
But why?
The thought was that the Japanese changed what was originally a "C" to a "K" at the start of their 1910 to 1945 occupation because the "J" in Japan comes after the "C" in what may have been the original English spelling and Japan would not stand for such... Therefore, Japan went with the "K."
Looking back to year 1890, Korea was spelled "Corea" on the cornerstone of the British built embassy in Seoul. Early evidence in English books, maps and other printed material also display a "C" instead of the "K." The change to the "K" came on strong in 1910 and the rest is history.
People don't always look as you may assume they should look: He has met past presidents, worked with troubled youth, served our country in the armed forces, helped prison inmates, led a church and more.
His name is Daniel Kingery and he travels the country picking up trash while displaying his sign “CleanHonestGov.com.” The website is a mix of his views, ideas and information on the government.
Originally from Iowa, the 2007 Presidential candidate goes from state to state talking to anyone who is willing to listen.
The former U.S. Marine was once the owner of several junkyards and a laundromat in the past, according to the “The Rock Island Argus” Newspaper. The paper also wrote in '07 that he stayed in the Kansas City Mission for a short period, and has served jail time for various contempt of court sanctions regarding disagreements with various city or community officials.”
To say he has seen some interesting things while being homeless would be an understatement.
In 2018 the 58 year old Kingery was homeless in the area of the White House. There, he has sat through extreme weather conditions, religious protests, public demonstrations, and white pride marches... He was not said to be a part of the rallies, protests or marches – only at the right place at perhaps the right time to witness history unfold in a small way. When interviewed by “Street Sense Media” reporter Christian Zapata he stated, “He looks at such events as opportunities to “learn from those who might be an enemy or have been taught to be one.”
“When they judge you, yawn.
When they misunderstand you, smile.
When they underestimate you, laugh.
When they condemn you, ignore.
When they envy you, rejoice.
When they oppose you, prevail.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
SURVIVAL: He came to the Washington DC area in the early 2000's for a construction related job. He told me the job went well, he got an efficiency apartment and life was good. The market eventually went sour in 2008 and the job was cut, the apartment was yanked away and life led him to the streets.
Some of us overcome obstacles while others only survive, grasping at the strings of the rope to remain afloat.
42 Year old Gail Carriger stated during an interview, “I suspect it may be like the difference between a drinker and an alcoholic; the one merely reads books, the other needs books to make it through the day." I think that sums up the difference of surviving verses living.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, the creator of Frankenstein wrote, “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
While the pain is great the growth can be greater.
If you want to change something, you have to think bigger than yourself. You have to think outside the box.
True, you maybe a little different from others. You may have had a few negative run-ins due to your creativity and free spirit. You may live with your head in the clouds at times and some may not understand you.
Others may talk negative about you and you fail to correct them because you are too busy dreaming or growing in some way.
Most won’t see eye to eye with you because you go places that are not full of beauty and lush green plants.
You fall down and make mistakes… a lot. Then, you admit to the many mistakes and misguided roads because your eyes see more than what is ahead of you at times.
You make others laugh to cover up your displeasure and distaste of guidance or hurts. Sometimes both.
Far from a social butterfly, you fly away from the crowds.
There is also a chance that you can’t make up your mind sometimes, overthink, underthink, fail to plan, jump from number 1 to number 10, don’t read instructions, don’t take instruction and finally - - run from things that make sense.
But hey, that’s you. You are different.
Start dreaming and stop talking, gossiping or bad mouthing others. Start moving. Or, continue the old road and don't make a difference - up to you.
“Life doesn’t stop for anybody.”
In some areas of Cuba, it is a slower pace of life. Instead of cars roaring down narrow streets, you often see taxis with pedals instead of engines. Conversation instead of cellphones. Smiles instead of glares.
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." ― Henry David Thoreau
As an Italian who appreciated the artistic body of a fine automobile, Ferruccio Lamborghini had the income with tractor production in his pocket to buy a Ferrari. So, the man who grew up with little soon bought a few Ferrari's.
In 1963, tired of dealing with the mechanical maintenance of Ferrari, tired of poor customer service, Mr. Lamborghini decided to build his own super car.
Automobili Lamborghini officially born. Possibly, the true underdog in the supercar fight.
Simply look and you too will be amazed at life.
“Look deeper and you can find some stuff which will amaze you!” ― Deyth Banger
The Grand Canyon 2018
Sometimes the real looks more unreal.
I shot this photo in Arizona where this is a similar site along the roadways and trails. The rocks look more like walls and the mountain peeks look more like statues.
“Life without any wonder left in it is flat and stale.” ― David Eddings
Going home with new treasures on the same grounds that Jesus walked... In fact, only about 100 yards from where he rose again.
Perhaps this dumpster holds more treasure, curiosity and magic than others in Israel?
“Children make you want to start life over.”
It was a sea of people around every corner in Old City Jerusalem. A mixture of tourist and locals going about their daily chores of shopping, sightseeing, selling and more.
Jerusalem is the most visited city in Israel. About 3.6 million people visit the city annually.
In the Old City of Jerusalem you see shoppers making their way home from a day of purchases, you see beggars asking for change, you see the aged sitting in chairs along the streets talking, laughing, smoking. You see life, some of which resembles the way life may have been in the late 1500's.
Today, Old City consist of an estimated 27,500 Muslims, 5,681 Christians and 3,089 Jews.
The area is mixed with different religions all living together. Sometimes they live in harmony and sometimes they don't. It can be a mixed bag of rest and fighting. The United States Department of State reports, "Jerusalem has been assessed as Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution"
In a May 2018 edition of The Guardian, Harriet Sherwood wrote, "Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City say their presence at the geographical heart of their faith is under threat from intimidation and aggressive property acquisition by hardline Jewish settlers."
Life. It can be different from what we think depending on where we stand.
Jewish men and boys laughed jovially as they took part in the celebrations of Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer count.
It happened in May of last year (2018) and Bonfires were lit throughout Jerusalem as part of the celebration.
This particular event I photographed was at a Jewish school. In Israel, it is celebrated as a symbol for the fighting Jewish spirit.
2018: A Jewish night in Israel marked by a celebration.
"A mother understands what a child does not say."
-Jewish Proverb
