Although purely utilitarian in nature, the initial impact of this image was a bit startling. From the vantage point of my lens capturing the shackles around these beautiful bronze bubble toes, I felt a twinge of sadness until I followed the path of the metal upwards.

Delightful isn’t she? Completely appropriate word for her I think. Light, fun, goofy – just like the rest of her friends in the garden. Just look at them.

For more images of Phillip Glashoff’s sculptural whimsy and other wonderous works at the Judith Hale Gallery in Los Olivos – click here.

But back for a moment to the emotions stirred from the original image – such a perfect metaphor really, for how the human spirit is able to overcome adversity. When we are “held captive” or “stuck” by either external sources or our own fears, what is it that gives some individuals the strength to persevere, to keep trying to move forward, the personal power to overthrow their adversaries, the desire to continue to survive and prevail? Is it just undying faith? The unwavering belief that this is not their destiny and the best will surely come sometime soon? Do they maintain their fortitude on behalf of another? Do they just shut themselves off from the reality of the earthly situation and venture off to another more loving, peaceful place in their own minds? How is it that some people have endured a life time of repeated loss, tragedy and hardship and still their soul has the capacity to soar? I have met people like this as you may have too – circumstances that would break a good share of us seem to make these people shine even brighter. Is it a profound sense of gratitude that they maintain for what they DO have? Do they just continue to count their blessings? Do they see the gift in the experience no matter how potentially crushing and catastrophic it is?

This act of seeing the gift in every situation is not a new idea, but if we could master just this one practice, just think about how the course of our lives could be altered for the better. Sometimes it is very difficult to find the gift in a situation, but if you write down every bit of your past baggage, every occurrence that repeatedly flies back into your life to reek havoc, every devastating tragedy that you have withstood, and partner it with a gift you received from it – I bet you would be surprised how you can turn your focus around and these past happenings will be empowering rather than sabotaging. You will be able to move on. You don’t have to forget, but your focus will be different and it will open you to inspiration and the strong urge to create once again.

Give it a go and let me know how it works out for you. Those silver linings – we just have to keep searching them out.

Who has walked this path before me?
How many through the ages have covered this very ground where I now journey – have stood here from this exact point in space – watching the storm move in, waiting for the boats to return, contemplating how they would possibly feed their family, professing their undying love in eloquent rehearsal, enjoying the heat of a bonfire, wondering how they would ever get back to the main land, enjoying the pure rush of it all – embracing the scenery, the salt on their lips – the wind kicking up their hair that makes their eyes water, grasping the last flicker of courage to plunge into the cold, not being able to endure another day- moving ferociously, alarmingly underneath and then acquiescently transporting beyond, reaching finally the new land where they will begin again, frolicking in the waves at the water’s edge carelessly watching their castles get leveled, dying for their heartfelt beliefs after a nameless battle…What were they doing.. what were they thinking, what did they look like, how did they feel? Who did they love, who were they fighting, what were they in the process of creating, or what did they live to destroy. What brought them inexplicable joy, and filled their souls with unsurmountable fear?

So many memories stored in the earth. If I take my shoes off and stand very still, I can feel their thoughts and uttered words swirling within and around me. I feel what they feel, I become one with their fibers, their waves, moving in, spiraling around and fluttering out of their being, I see what they see – what lay before them, and what they could be running from, I hear what they hear, the loudest shrillest sirens, the deepest core wrenching horns, the softest most uplifting lilting hum. Some beckon me to move away from the painful spot and some encourage me to stay and revel for as long as possible, all dependent on the quality of the memory that that space in time held for them.

Sometimes when taking long drives through the desert, I find myself wondering if there is a spot out there on the side of the road that has never been touched by a human sole – completely free of any imprint whatsoever. I asked Louis what he thought, his reply, “of course, there are many”.
Maybe if I stood out there in the wilderness of the desert, instead of human stories I would feel tumbleweed stories, or scorpion stories, or sidewinders weaving their tales, or coyotes calling from one end of the horizon to the other, and I would then know the many reasons for their howl.
But I usually don’t get out of the car at these desolate looking points along the highway.

Things can change significantly from one moment to the next, as we know nothing is more constant than change.
Now my mind wanders to how many trillions of experiences happen during one moment in time. These moments, these seconds-long patches of life have such full and rich histories, and while one moment can be the absolute most blessed of someone’s entire life, that very same moment could be ripping someone else’s completely to shreds.

It fascinates me. I want to feel the moments of that spot I am standing. I want to feel the joy, the pain, hear the thoughts, absorb the lives, get a full education, learn real history…and then I want to leave un-turbulently, in peace, a gentle, respectful, and unassuming and inviting imprint of my own.