Closet Full of Prayers

Even though our time at St. Joseph's Home for Boys was shorter than we planned. A lot was crammed into a very small length of time. I remember that time with fond memories, not only for what we experienced at Wings, but also what we did and could continue to experience in Haiti.

Every morning and evening the boys at St. Joseph's have a worship service. We were allowed to be with them and the image here is a picture of the closet their Bibles are stored in. The service was very moving despite the fact I could only understand a small portion of it. But as with moments in our lives, words cannot capture the emotion. This is one of those times. While in the room you felt this tremendous feeling of peace, despite the chaos all around you. As you looked into the boys' eyes you could see hope and gratitude. The service we attended was a service to give thanks. Where each boy would speak of something they saw, experienced or heard of and for which they were thankful. I heard thanks for things we take for granted. The gratitude of one person helping another. The fact no one in the house was seriously affected by the riots. The fact they had food, clothing and a home where people cared for them.

While I may have strong feelings about what I find wrong in religion, I certainly could not doubt the presence of God or his purpose after this service. It also made all the things we squabble about seem insignificant, and that is a feeling I carry with me still. I see all the turmoil over the literal interpretations of the Bible. Who is right and who is wrong, which social class is damned to hell and which is not. All these seem like a tremendous waste of our time when you witness the tremendous out pouring of caring by people who have nothing, and as a result do not judge. Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/closetfullofprayers.html

The Unkown

While in Charleston, we were walking through the historic district following our noses to the smell of what turned out to be a Starbucks. Just before we entered, I happened to see this alley way lit up and the other end swallowed up by the darkness. The light and shadows seemed to draw you in, if nothing more than out of curiosity at what lie at the end in that dark chasm.

It appears not only the name, but the interest is felt by a lot of us. I took this image on a show I did over the fall and several people picked it up and expressed the same feeling. The also thought the name "The Unknown" was an accurate description.

Does it sum up a lot of the current emotions in our society, who knows, but on a basic level I think we all wish to avoid if possible those unknown things in our lives.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/theunknown.html

Moonlight

It has been brutally cold here the last few days, and I decided this image was one way to feel a little warmer.

It was a deliciously warm spring day when this shot caught my eye. I was sitting beside the pool and looked back at the batchelor buttons gracing the left side of the yard. I had stuck this yard art in the middle of where I had planted all those seeds hoping the blue in the globe would compliment the flowers.

I was not disappointed. I came upon this spot as I do others in the yard; I just roam around late in the afternoon. I will pick various parts of the yard and look around soaking up the sights and sounds of the day. Late day light is my favorite light. It is similar to the story of the Three Bears, not to bright, not to dark. This day the late afternoon light caused all the blue's in this image to glow and the greens to look silky smooth. It is one of my favorites along with the image titled Decisions. They both came out as originally framed in my head and more.

I hope you enjoy Moonlight as much as I do, and may it warm your heart and be a reminder that spring is close at hand.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/moonlight.html

Hand up Not Hand out

I was doing random shots from the roof at St. Joseph's and did not see through the view finder what was captured. The intended focal point of the image was the older gentleman in his chair being framed by the bars. I was interested in it for the paradox; at 21 the average Haitian is considered middle aged, so to see a man with grey hair stuck out.

After returning home, I began culling through the hundreds of images we took and came to this one. At first I thought it had turned out as planned, but as I looked closer, I realized not only had I captured the original shot, but one with even more symbolism. Above the older man is a young boy poking his head through the railing. This one image shows so many paradoxes occurring in Haiti. The young and the old, fear and hope, entrapment and freedom. All within everyone's grasp.

I had not decided until just this week to post the image to the blog. What triggered my decision was an article published in the local newspaper. It was a sports article with a heart warming story of a young man running a marathon for Haiti. At the tender age of 17 he realized the great need for a people called the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. It was good to see someone so young recognizing Haiti's great need. But even someone as young as this runner realized they do not want a hand out of their poverty, but a hand up.

http://www.heirloomcrafters.com/gallery/handupnothandout.html