The Backroads
When I was much younger one of my favorite things to do with my family was taking Sunday drives. We would load up in the station wagon and head out on some aimless cross county (yes, not country…county) trip in Northern Michigan. I would sit in the back seat harassing my sister, chatting with my family or I would find myself staring aimlessly into the woods allowing my mind to wander. I think it was in those moments of mental solitude that I would drift off and dream of my future and all the wonderful things yet to come. This past weekend, I found myself on those same country roads I use to travel as a youngster, but this time as an adult with my significant other and daughter in the car. All of us were having a great time, just chatting, smiling and laughing. It’s tough to beat Northern Michigan in the summer. And I always get a little pensive when I drive. I must admit I found it slightly ironic with all the changes that have taken place in my life, to bring me back to this same spot in the road some 30 years later. But so is life. I read an interesting article by David duChemin ( a brilliant writer and photographer) a few days ago regarding vision. Can it be taught or is it part of your DNA? I think “vision” is an ever changing expression of OUR lives, or lives as we see them. The old road we use to traverse when we were kids in the back of the station wagon really hadn’t changed much in all these years. What had changed was the kids in the back seat were now grown up with families of their own. My vision of the future is much different today than it was 30 years ago. But at the end of the day, no matter how much my vision has matured, it still is “my vision”. I think all of us are born with “vision” and those people that have learned to communicate their visions well with others tend to be labeled as “gifted”. I suspect we are all “gifted” on some level – it’s just finding our unique voice that’s the trick! How has your past shaped your vision today – and how does it manifest itself in your photography?
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