... not exactly.

Sometimes things do not go the way you expect it… sometimes it is serious: health, transportation, a job… Sometimes it is minor like a photo… However we prefer things to go the way we need them to, we never stop to think about the reason it is not going correct, it is in those times we need to recuperate and reevaluate the direction we are pushing for, and adjust headings. It is only then that we will be able to appreciate what we have, and work on fixing what is wrong. This photo was of some interesting shapes in a few trees, but the sun was too bright… I kept the photo because I thought it was interesting.

Rolling Back the Rivers of Time....

Time rolls like a river, and we are all floating along for the ride. We do not know where we are going, and at times we want to stop and visit destinations past. However the current is too strong, and it just carries us forward, all we have to remember the past are our memories. Memories are the most precious gifts that we are given, and we need to cherish them for all time. It is our only way to roll back the river of time… The River Avon in Stratford-Upon-Avon is one of the world’s most beautiful rivers. It has seen the rise and fall of empires and the birth and death of some of the world’s greatest people.

Solidarity

Sometimes in the face of adversity, you have to stand strong… ready to take what ever life throws at you by the horns, sometimes it puts up a fight this just makes victory sweeter. This bull stands guard over the shoppers at the Bull Ring in Birmingham, UK. Permanently standing as a reminder of British solidarity in times of abundance and strife, he is a wonderful symbol for the people of the great country.

Anniversary

One year ago to the day I embarked on a journey unlike any in my past. One year ago I traveled further than any member of my immediate family in one trip. One year ago my life changed. One year ago…. For the next two weeks my life will be marked by anniversaries that changed my life. I will go at it alone, for the one that was special, has chosen to go their own way. Why this was a decision that caused me pain, now I am left with memories…. The memories of a trip that made me a different person, and I am better for it. I will forever remember the feelings I had when I did what many said was impossible, and a bit crazy. I crossed an ocean to be with someone I cared for, someone I will always care for… but was not meant for me in this life. However I am forever linked with the beautiful country of many of my ancestors, the United Kingdom forever holds a place on my heart… specifically my adopted hometown of Birmingham, seen here from atop Dudley castle.

Common Threads

On Earth, many of us are separated by vast distances. No matter if we do not share the same dirt under our feet, no matter if we are under the same clouds, in the vast scheme of things, there are a few things that we all share, that we can all see at the same moment, countries away.

The Sun is the same sun,
The Moon is the same moon.

The Continents may be different, the stars may even be different… but no matter what, there are always common threads in us all.

traditions

Many Native American traditions do not exist anymore, lost in the pages of time never to be seen again. This is one of the saddest legacies of the United States, and European colonization in general, the loss of the native culture. I have always found an interest in the native cultures that once called this entire continent their home, now they are segregated into tiny “Sovereign Dependant Nations” within the United States, nothing as they once were. They fight for their culture to continue on, and in many ways it does. I am 1/8 provable Choctaw, however the number is closer to 1/4 in actuality. I feel a connection to the land that my ancestors once called home, and in many ways I feel a connection to the culture that I would love to learn more about. Many times in my past I have been exposed to this culture, and it is something that I feel should be expressed more to all people, it is a human legacy as well as an American one. Building on traditions in something a few of my friends and I do try to do through many means. We have built a sweat lodge in order to meditate and come closer to our spiritual side, through heat and controlled hardship. The sweat lodge is one of the Native American traditions that still exists, and can be shared for all…

Mississippi Spring

It seems that spring may have finally arrived here in Mississippi. Many of these trees will soon have leaves and the ground will be green with grass. We have had an unusually cold winter this year, by many standards, and a record amount of snowfalls for one winter season. I know that the warmer weather will be welcomed with open arms, and the colours of the spring will be welcomed with my camera.

Life After People

We go through our lives not alone, many people make appearances and affect us so profoundly. No matter the short time these people spent in our lives, they made an impact, they left their mark… and that will never change. This photo was taken on my last trip to Biloxi, Mississippi in May. It was a fun day considering that someone very important had just voluntarily made an exit from my life…. They were important to me, and it took a while for me to accept and move on, but now I feel that not only am I better for having had them in my life, but I know that everything happens for a reason.