Have you have ever loved a place so much it hurts?
I’m from a part of the country that, for most folks, is somewhere you pass through on the way to somewhere else. It is rarely a destination in and of itself. It has a reputation for violence and extraction, and while those are certainly part of its history, that description lacks the nuance of a more complete picture. It is also a place of tenderness and beauty. (I’m writing this now more to remind myself and less to convince you.)
One of my favorite pieces of writing is Jim Wayne Miller’s Brier Sermon - ‘You Must Be Born Again.’ There’s a section that always lands with me that serves as a reminder that we don’t have to live in the past but admonishes us to carry our history with us wherever we are:
You don’t have to think ridge-to-ridge,
the way they did.
You can think ocean-to-ocean.
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world, but there is nowhere else I’ve ever felt more at home than the hills of southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. It’s also the only place I’ve ever truly been inspired to photograph. I enjoy seeing the work of photographers who travel for national assignments, but I can’t imagine a more interesting place to make pictures than about a 150-mile radius from my front door. I take comfort in that.
Years ago, my brother tattooed the outlines of Kentucky and West Virginia on my arms. Sometime later, my son made a powerful observation - one that has stuck with me since. He said, “Oh, I get it. You’re heart is in the middle between Kentucky and West Virginia.” Out of the mouth of babes.
Where’s the geographic center of your heart? May you find it and may the pull be so strong you cannot rest until its soil is beneath your feet, the breath of its wind surrounds you, and the sounds of home make your heart leap. This is my great hope for you.
Roger
Recommend:
I heard this wonderful song from Liv Greene on WMMT 88.7 and I’ve had it on repeat since. This line in particular - “That’s when the ground gets soft and the light gets long…”
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Another good one, Roger. Your latest prompts me to fall into my world of "unanswered questions." What if I would have stayed in the Tug Valley region? Did I absolutely make the correct choice in heading to Tennessee?
I'd be lying if I said I never regret leaving home. Yet, there are times when I feel so blessed that I did. I just know for me there's an undeniable feeling of comfort every time I cross Pound Gap and inch ever closer to home.
Thanks for the Liv Greene song.
Amen, Roger. This is exactly how I feel about Athens, Ohio. I never thought I would land in “my” place, but here we are and I am so grateful. Some days I wonder how it happened. :)