Tuesday, June 02, 2009

The Automobile May Die but the Road Goes On Forever


I laugh and cry more as I get older. Irony is harder to ignore. That's what usually sets me off. I first noticed this amped emotional onset a couple of years ago during the Marx Brothers movie Duck Soup . It was more than likely the 15th time I'd seen it. Just before the famous mirror scene, Harpo (dressed as Groucho) gets the combination to the safe. When he's found the safe he begins to work the dial but it's NOT the safe. During this particular viewing, my laughter morphed unexpectedly into tears. I had a mortal moment. I thought; what if I never get to see this again? I've never been too distant from thoughts of my own mortality but in this instant the idea both crushed and connected me to my self.

When life is sweet, it's hard to imagine that any alternative is going to be as good--and life is sweet for most of us in many moments regardless of the hardship, struggle, difficulty, cruelty we each endure. Having cheated death a few times, I've proved to myself how much I value staying alive. I think I value most what connects us to one another.

This is where David Lynch comes in. I like David Lynch. I like his movies and I like his weather report. I liked his Angriest Dog In The World and I like what he's done with his practice of Transcendental Meditation. I like the road he's on. Those of you who know my photographs, especially the Lonescapes, know I love the road. The road is process, not destination. America is often thought of in regard to it's love affair with the automobile but for most of us the car ain't jack without the road and the road goes on forever.

Personal stories have always moved me. Whether a person's story is expressed through their art or in conversation, there is always something unique and something universal, human.
When you have time, please look into what's going on here. I think there's going to be a lot of magic in this very real collaboration: INTERVIEW PROJECT Shared via AddThis

photo of David Lynch and Assistant by Lisa Jane Persky all rights reserved

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