Living in the megalopolis of Southern California, it’s not every day that I can sit in the middle of the highway, undisturbed by noise and traffic, and achieve a halcyon state of physical and mental “oneness” with my surroundings. I was able to do that often in the Canadian Rockies. Up in this scenic wonderland, I would go several minutes at a time sitting in the middle of the road, cleaning my camera lens in-between shots and connecting the dots of my road map along the Icefields Parkway. Without the slightest flinch from the sound of an oncoming engine, you can just sit there…lost in time…enjoying the silence. It was an eerily unfamiliar and peaceful sensation. Sometimes I felt like Will Smith in that movie I Am Legend. “If there is anybody out there…anybody…you are not alone.” Of course, there were other travelers, natives, and local wildlife I would encounter throughout the trip. But for several moments at a time, I felt like the Earth belonged to me and me only. I imagine Hemingway or Ansel Adams would have drawn a similar inspiration from a scene like this. As much as I’d like to keep writing about this reposing experience, the beeping and clanking dump truck outside my window just polluted my concentration. Til’ next time…
(Icefields Parkway – Jasper National Park, Canada)
Gringo With A Green Bag 