June, 2010

Mile 168.4

“And I called the road my own
I don’t know when that road turned onto the road I’m on.”

- Jackson Browne

Aug 3, 2009 – The AP reported this weekend that the worst recession since World War II appears on the verge of ending. — It is amazing how things can look on paper.

Mile 999.93 -  June 2, 2010 – A quick flash-forward to the end. I finished the 1,000 mile trek across Salt Lake City today. In what has to be one of the oddest twists to this tale, and I am not making this up, at the 999.93 mile mark with less than 500 feet to go I was on 2^nd South walking west towards Main Street when who should turn the corner from Main Street and start to proceed east on 2^nd South, the Junior Senator from Utah, Bob Bennett. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of an ironic overtone as we passed each other; both of us signaling our disgust at the other as we exchanged glances. For both of us a journey has come to an end. I call this piece “Back to Salt Lake City” and why not, he turned his back on Utah for 18 years.

What a long strange trip it’s been. I’ve shot over 3,000 images on this trek, been stopped and questioned by the police no less than 6 times, been mistaken for a homeless person at least 50 times, been threatened with bodily harm on eight separate occasions and I lost count after 100 of how many times I’ve been the recipient of the bird finger.

The thousand miles is over, now what? O hell who am I kidding, since about mile 3 I have felt mile 10,000 calling my name.

“And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon.”

- Roger Waters