Whenwesetoutonourliveswehavenopathtofollow.Welook ahead,weplan,wechooseadirection.Butwecannotknowwhere ourjourneywilltakeus.Attheendofourliveswelookbackand seetheroutewehavetaken.Wehaveleftatrailforourchildren–buttheydonotchoosetofollowit.Theymaketheirowntrail.My photosarewaymarkersofthejourneysItookfrombirthuptothe timeofthenextgeneration
By11yearsoldIhadmade4lifedecisions
1.MyNanaandparentsintroducedmetophotographyand thathasbecomeanobsession.
2.MyFatherintroducedworkingwithwoodandthathas becomeahobby.
3.MyUncleJohngavemeacrystalradioandgavemean interestinelectronicsandthatbecameajob.
4.Idecidednottobecomeavicar.
Thissetofimagesisabout‘WorkingwithWood’.
MyParentsgavemeacarpentryset.Iusedthesmall Hammer,seeninthefirstimage,toputdentsalongtheedge ofournew9”televisioncabinetasIpretendedtobea carpenter.TheBall-peenhammer,inthesameimage,that wasthefirsttoolIboughtwithmyownmoneyat16yearsold.
ThroughoutmylifeIhavelovedtoolsandgadgets
Trailsmadebylivingcreaturesareoftentransientandoflittlebenefit totheindividualmakingthem,oreventoothers,butlonger-lived tracksmayhavemoreconsequence.
Image#1showsatrailwrittentransientlyinthewatersoftheMara RiverbywildebeestduringtheGreatMigrationinKenya:ithasno lastingsignificancefromwhichconclusionsmaybedrawn.
#2showstheoverlyingtracksmadeintheBotswanandustbya Landcruiser,alizard,andmydesertboot.Theselastseveraldays, andexperiencedtrackerscanbasegamewatchingorhunting decisionsontheirobservations.
In#3weseethehighwaystroddenforcenturiesacrossthedry AmboselilakebedbyelephantgroupsinKenya.Theirmorning beginsbrowsingtheforest(#4),beforefollowingthetracksfortens ofkilometres(#5)tothemarsh,wheretheywallowanddrink(#6). Thesetracksareasimpressed t
RalphWaldoEmmerson.(May25,1803–April27,1882),preferredto usehismiddlenameWaldo,anAmericanessayist,lecturer, philosopherandabolitionist.Hewasalsoapoetwhohelpedtoform thetranscendentalistmovementofthemid-19thcentury. “Donotgowherethepathmaylead,goinsteadwherethereisno path,andleaveatrail”.
Itisamotivationalquoteaboutfindingthecouragetodosomething youhaveneverdonebefore,toexploretheunexplored,thatisto makeyourownpathwayinlife.
Emerson'swritingconsistentlyrefersbacktoonemajortheme: "Trustthyself".
Aprevalentthemethroughouttheessaysisnonconformity. Emersonstated, "Whosowouldbeamanmustbeanonconformist".
Heencourageshisreaderstodowhattheythinkisrightnomatter whatothersthink..
