Ancient people in the frigid north of Scotland, from 300 AD to 500 AD, carved designs into rock and fashioned jewelry from molten metal. They tattooed their bodies with blue plant-based pigment. The Roman invaders labeled them The Picts, the painted people. I'm fascinated by their art. I respect them. They were ancient people "coloring" …
Tag: History
Trying to Bury Us, Chapter 1 of “Nauvoo”
"They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds."- Dino Christianpolus. I live, like many people in this world, in an insignificant place, a bit of geography once used and now forgotten. When I tell local people the name of my town, they snicker, especially those who reside in the more popular tourist …
For The Love of The Land
My second visit to Scotland put a spell on me. I traveled through the Highlands, taking in the vast green fields, the rocky hills and mountains, and the lovely waterways. Since coming home, I've been like a hologram, a wavering collection of intense energy without substance. I've tried to understand why I have such a …
Secrets of Omission
It is unpleasant to be tricked, especially when you have accepted something as accurate, and it's not. History often comes in carefully crafted pieces, sliced and diced, to keep secrets. But the true story is always there. Sometimes, it involves digging around and doing the messy work of putting forgotten or hidden pieces back together. …
The Fallacy of Insignificance
I live in a place in northern New York State that many Americans have never heard of and don't care to know about. Our population is dwindling as our manufacturing has moved to other places. Many who live downstate don't even realize that there is life above the NYS Thruway. Tourism saves us from total …
Who’s a Witch?
She lay on the cold metal. All her sisters were gone. She was damaged, threads dangling from her clothes, and the broomstick ripped from her hand. She was a dollar store discard, worth 100 pennies, but because of the shaky world economy, she now costs $1.25. She was alone on the bottom level near the …
Insanity, The Best Money Can Buy
I wish I hadn't found the two old books. Their stories upset me and took me to a dark place I really didn't want to go. "Civilization is a hopeless race to discover remedies for the evils it produces."--Jean-Jacques Rousseau I have become a scavenger, constantly looking through the shelves of old shops and flea …
“Stop Children What’s that Sound?-Traveling with Forrest Gump
" Paranoia strikes deepInto your life it will creepIt starts when you're always afraid." Song by Stephen Stills Single released by Buffalo Springfield in 1966 This is the song on The Forrest Gump soundtrack that made me tear up. "There's battle lines being drawnNobody's right if everybody's wrong." 53 years later, and turmoil continues. I'm …
Continue reading “Stop Children What’s that Sound?-Traveling with Forrest Gump
An Army Base as a Community Unifier-Fort Drum, New York
For many of us civilian citizens who live around Fort Drum, an army base in northern New York State, this military reservation looks pretty mysterious and remote. We are familiar with the Army helicopters and jets, are used to the booms of practice maneuvers, and are no longer surprised by the red glow of flares …
Continue reading An Army Base as a Community Unifier-Fort Drum, New York
Hints for Women Travelers #6-The Devil is in the Details
Try not to be picky. Please don't evaluative every little detail of your trip. Think globally, life is a movie not a snapshot. Over the course of my life, I have come to realize that joy is enormous and being joyless makes us small. Joy is about getting out of ourselves, being with people, trying …
Continue reading Hints for Women Travelers #6-The Devil is in the Details
The Autonomous Traveler 