life goes on

A memorial in downtown Manhattan not far from Ground Zero displays special artwork in remembrance of 9/11.  Tiles donated by local factories serve as canvases on which NYC children have worked with local artists to express their thoughts and feelings about the tragic day none of us can ever forget.  

Carly Moffitt sends in these photos of New York City and
 the site of Ground Zero. 

"It's eerie to be at the exact spot which at one point was center stage to terrible devastation and chaos.  And yet it's a beautiful summertime day in the NYC.  In every direction you can see and hear construction, tourists, taxi's and just movement in general.  In one moment you realize that life is so fragile and hanging by a thread, and then in the next moment you see people like these cycling by without a second thought.  It's at times like these you realize that no matter the circumstance life does go on..."   

down under

Sounds from Australia. Courtesy of Aramis.

Check out http://annansiobhan.wordpress.com/ to read about 2 Irish gals who will travel and track their adventure Down Under.  Best of luck, ladies.

the other side

A group of well travelled individuals sets out to explore Morocco, and everyone feels confident with their previous experience in developing countries.  They share glamorized images of romantic Casablanca, bartering in ancient marketplaces filled with great fabrics and textiles, colors, spices and smells... 

     

        

Clinging to Hollywood-like fantasies of a country can sometimes present visitors with interesting surprises.

Shannon Ryan submits these photos and tells us that she can remember exactly what she was thinking and feeling at the moment each photo was taken during her recent trip to Morocco.  Contrary to the romanticized images she held prior to landing, Shannon tells us she arrived right in the middle of Ramadan when shops are closed early and nightlife activities are hard to come by.  There was an overwhelming heat and sense of developing nation in the air.  It is these conditions which serve to fade out the fantasies and highlight the poverty and political issues with which the country continues to struggle.

Taking a step back, however, Shannon and her crew start to see past the surface and are reminded of one of life's most valuable lessons.  

"Trekking through the sand dunes, I felt really small.  They are so massive.  They are amazing structures-- they continually clear their canvas and footsteps are wiped away with the wind and pull of gravity.  I walk up the sand dune and come back down again only to look and see it’s like I was never there."

It might just be this same principle which guides the lives of the Moroccans.

"Children still seem happy if not happier than Western kids when they are playing even though they have so little.  Morocco is not wealthy, they don’t have much, but they are happy with what they have..."

Perhaps we should all learn to traverse the dunes we encounter in our lives knowing that our travels through them are temporary.  Just like the vanishing footprints of those who cross Morocco's massive dunes, our troubles and challenges don't last forever and there's always happiness to be found on the other side.

some people just know

Some people just know from the get-go.

Angel Barajas of Woodland, California.

circa 1987/1988

junk pop

We all have collections of objects and items that to some would be a pile of junk, but to us impart meaning and significance.  For us, they represent a collection of memories and stories to share with others and ourselves.  Yet artist Jason Mecier out of San Francisco, CA, uses his collections to show his sense of imagination and appreciation for pop culture. 

Is this the birth of 'Junk Pop'?

Check out more of Jason's work at:

http://www.jasonmecier.com/

little boxes

Take a moment to admire this photo as you take in the lyrics and rhythm of this iconic song.

This still photograph of Malvina Reynolds offers an impact as timeless as the message contained in her song.  Together the picture and the lyrics ask us, the viewer, are we living our unique, authentic life?  

-for a biography on Malvina Reynolds, check out: 

http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/reynolds.html

in their own time

The Great Sphinx of Giza near Cairo, Egypt sits in the foreground of the Great Pyramid of Giza.  This site boasts of remarkable bragging rights:  The pyramid is the only wonder of the ancient world to survive into modern times.

Originally built to serve as the eternal resting place for the ancient Pharaohs and other notable elite, it's incredible to think that this structure has remained intact for thousands of years.  Will it indeed last into eternity here on Earth as originally intended?

The photos here, courtesy of Maria Palomino, suggest that it may endure the test of time.  It appears in some instances that other things--not just the pyramid--haven't changed for thousands of years either.

A crucial question remains, however.  Why, of all the wonders of the ancient world, is this the only one to have survived into our modern age?  Is there a message to be discovered, something the ancient Pharaohs still wish to share with the world?

How great it would be to travel the tunnels of time back to when the Pharaohs were still alive and compare our stories with their stories from long ago.  Yet, they might just be planning to do this in their own time...Maybe that's why they've been sticking around for so long...