i've been wanting to share this since we got back from
our road trip a few weeks ago. but i've been hesitating. why, you ask? well, like most of us i think, i enjoy sharing happy and encouraging posts. i mean that's often how i get my "inspiration fix" - from reading them - and i'm guessing you are the same in this regard.
yet something is nagging me to "tell the whole story". it's the truth factor i guess. while it's a fact that we saw so many
amazing and glorious sights, i feel that by sharing only that i'm not telling the whole story. it's also a fact that there were many miles of nothingness. but beyond that, something really stood out on this particular trip and it's a little scary.
many of our small towns are dying. while i'm very well aware that the economy is in trouble, this was a real in-your-face reminder. towns that were perhaps hanging on and getting by just a few short years ago are giving up. pretty much every one that we passed through had boarded up windows and "for sale" signs galore. i ask you, who is going to buy these places??
we stopped and bought a few things from some that were still open just to give them a little boost, but the writing is on the wall. one guy had prices on all of his shelves and fixtures and couldn't afford to keep the A/C running. door open for ventilation and flies buzzing about. cot and microwave set up in the back of the store. kind of a look of desperation in his eyes. it's hard to know what to say to these folks.
i wish i knew the solution but it's part of life, as with so many other things. glad i got that off my chest, though. it's just a story that i felt needed to be told. i promise a happier post next time!!
as a store owner, i can totally relate. and as someone who just traveled through utah & colorado, it was just discouraging...as a matter of fact, in bluff, utah, we saw 1 person. that's it. very, very sad...
ReplyDeletePatty, I can relate to this post. During our road trips, many off the beaten path, we often passed through those desperate places - I call them the places of no hope. It is heartbreaking and incredibly sad.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post, Patty. It's real, it's about today and what is happening. Certainly it is not what we would wish for, however, the Universe does have a plan. A couple of years ago I drove through some parts of Idaho to pick up Habibi. We stopped in a small town where my girlfriend and her late husband biked to in years gone by. It was a beautiful spot. We stopped by the tourist information and got a map of all the historical buildings. Walking through the down town we noticed all the buildings were pristine, however, they were empty. When we inquired at the museum, we were told they had all been condemned. No one could afford to restore and maintain their 'insides'. A heart breaker for sure. Your post speaks of 'truth', of what is occurring in the hear and now. The recording of this time is important. Our world is truly changing and shifting. Your photographs, although they speak of desolation, are so very, very beautiful. Thank you for speaking your truth.
ReplyDeleteVery sad-was the Coldfield hotel closed?
ReplyDeletei like to read all posts, happy and sad. your pictures are beautiful. such interesting buildings with so much potential...i miss the independent store owners. i am sad to see all the cookie-cutter strip malls everywhere, there just seems to be such a lack of character.
ReplyDeletethis post is a wonderful reminder to all of us Patty and i am so happy that you put it out there.
ReplyDeleteyour pictures tell stories....
stories of what is happening in our country today.
stories to help us count our blessings.
stories to remind us to pray for our fellow neighbors.
i imagine it was very difficult to see the desperation in that gentleman's eyes.....
sending you a hug and thank you for this!
xxoo
k
I must admit I see very similar things right in our own town, and the surrounding areas, of course not to this degree..but your pictures tell it all..!
ReplyDeletePart of following our heart in our photography is sometimes finding stories that aren't happy but need to be told. Thank you for following your heart and sharing the story with us.
ReplyDeleteWe have had similar experiences and feelings as we travel, and they often remain in our hearts after we get home. Thank you for your dramatic reminder of the "other reason" for trips we take. We often lead such insulated lives. Your pictures are striking!
ReplyDeleteYour post breaks my heart, and here I am complaining that I don't have the right job! thanks for bringing me back to reality! These pictures although sad are so beautiful, the saddest is that most of the next generation will only get to see it in pictures! Thanks for stopping by and your encouraging words...
ReplyDeleteYes, the hotel was not only closed, but for sale as well. Looked like it was quite a place in it's day!
ReplyDeleteSo very sad. It's an iconic story..a one that is happening everywhere. Thanks for the wonderful images!
ReplyDeleteVery tragic. I was driving near Cleveland the other day, down a normally busy street. For rent and for sales signs peppering the area. Very sad. Great story in this post. All to common.
ReplyDeleteSad stories abound... it's the times we are in, hopefully things will get better, but I'm seeing this in so many places I think it stills has away to go. Great photos, thanks for sharing, it's a story that needs to be told!
ReplyDelete