Around the Bend

Around the Bend
Palenville, NY

I'm staying in a town, a throwback of the way life use to be, where the women are handsome, trees beautiful, and roads romantic. The type of place where on autumn days the past time is watching golden feathery leaf flakes make their way to the adorning quilted landscape beneath stately maples. A town whose past is not forgotten but whose future is questionable, where strangers are encouraged to pass through and greeted with one word responses until folks know they are not just visiting.

Images and scenes from some Norman Rockwell painting I suppose: a general store, boy scouts, and quaint white wooden colonial home styles graced with white picket fences and with women inside who still might knit and sew, married to husbands who still know how to fix things.

The general store and deli not only still serve creme sodas but also carries things like organic agave and gluten free pancakes mixes for New York City refugees. For those transitioning pilgrims the deli serves bountiful reuben sandwiches and if its Friday you might get to order a chocolate croissant but hurry they go fast.

The pace is slow but the minds are sharp as artists and intellectuals collude and converse at small tables suitable for great gossip and tales. Not sure if I qualify as a guest, a stranger passing through, or if I am considered someone that they would trust or a person of interest.

Someone asked how long I've been in Palenville and I can respond long enough to know that important stuff is posted on telephone poles and that Alfie Beers ran for highway superintendent a few years back, and the footbridge across the Kaaterskill Creek was wiped out by Irene (hurricane), that Laurie the big lady that lives in a "bungalow" at the bottom of Woodlane has a rescued blue healer that had wandered for days before she was captured. Long enough to be to tell you that Pat at the Circle W (the general store) makes the best lentil and buttersquash acorn soups and to die for chocolate croissants but they are served only on Fridays and on Sundays. And of course, there's Bob, the retired color lab guy twice divorced who hangs out every morning at the general store. Then there's now me. Hoping to find inspiration in a place that has stood still for a while.

Can't wait for my morning to begin all over again. Look forward to new walks and hikes along rushing creeks shared only with a few accompanied dogs. Look forward to be accepted not as someone just passing through but as someone "living" here. There's a life I've forgotten about somewhere between success and job loss.

A Rockwell Moment

Siblings at Play in Store
Southlake, TX

"The soul is healed by being with children"

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Spent some time browsing at a local store. It's the tail end of the shopping season. All I am sure are weary of the commotion. I happened to glance over in a nook of this beautiful warm store when I saw a composition which seemed to me straight from a Norman Rockwell painting; two children, a brother and sister transfixed with a game on their iPhone, entertaining themselves while mom shopped.

My day changed after that moment. I knew I had captured something ; a piece of life that I had forgotten about. Spent some time wondering how to be render this image while preserving its simplicity and message. Think I nailed it. Sometimes you just have to keep your eyes wide open.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Abandoned Dreams

Abandoned Dreams
Keller, TX

There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… 

I dream of things that never, were and ask why not?

Robert F. Kennedy

We' ve actually had a bit of premature winter this month in north Texas: some snow, ice, and rain. Morning temperatures have dipped into the low 20's and days remained chilly, hard to stay comfortably warm even indoors. 

During one of my morning walks accompanied by our one hundred pound black lab, Grady, I stumbled across this abandoned doll. It quickly caught my attention and made me think in terms of its symbolism. Did the child who owned this know it was missing? Did the parent eventually return to search for this doll? Do we do the same, or do we give up pursuing our babies and dreams?

It would be easy at this stage of my life to succumb to the cynicism which encompasses my world. However, I choose not to let go of my idealism and remain steadfast to changing the world and making my life mean something for me. Can't say I am ready to abandon yet any of my dreams. For me its a constant struggle between following the conventions of my world or the convictions of my heart.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Treasures: Midlife Discovery

Around Town
Keller, TX

Some of the best treasures may lie directly in front of you. We don't always see them but that doesn't mean that beneath the surface of where you stand they don't exist. The key to finding treasure is maintaining a curious mind and believing in the possibility that it exists. Curiosity and belief are qualities that many discard along the journey travails.

As a photographer, I focus on fractions of a second with the undying optimism that each contains some kind of treasure that requires my time to discover. We don't know what we will find until we try. The hope of finding something keeps us curious and eager to search.

There so many obstacles which we let get in the way of discovery. Often times we call them obligations. Sometimes its also a matter of how we think. Our thinking holds us back and we don't see the possibilities or fail to discover them. Yet each day that goes by without discovery becomes wasted; another day that we will never get back.

What some people coin midlife crisis, I prefer to re-label as midlife discovery. We are ticking time bombs each with a preset clock. Dare we risk putting of discovery for an uncertain day in the future that may never come? How wise is having an ample 401K at age 80 when you  have such little time left or health to enjoy it?

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Thanksgiving Thoughts

The Crossing
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, MX

"Our greatest glory in life is not in never falling
but in rising every time we fall."
Confucius

A year ago marked the end of nearly three years of unemployment and the beginning of a new work adventure which led me to Tucson, AZ. While I was happy with the idea of having a job I was saddened by the thought of leaving my comfort zone, home, and family.

Within the first week, my new company was acquired and all the promises made broken. Yet I was required to move and commit to an apartment rental. To say the least, I was bitter, anxious, lonely, and angered by the emotional drama. My journey took a completely different twist and I was reluctant to embrace the change it brought.

Pima Canyon Sunset

The only and best way for me to handle the new job experience and change was to view it as a glorified part time job in a region of the country I longed to be in. After months of emotional struggles with the job, I found refuge within the nearby mountains and in the mornings of the high desert of Tucson and southeast Arizona. The adventure took a completely twist then and I was able to produce some of my best work. Some of it now resides at the Simon Gallery of Fine Art located in Steinway Piano Gallery in Tucson.

For that twist, I am truly grateful. Had it not been for extreme loneliness and the stimulus of mountains and desert, that work never would have happened. Just when I had given up hope that I would be back joining my family and soon to be born triplet grand babies, I discovered that I had landed a new job back home in Dallas/Fort Worth. This happened one week after the birth of beautiful triplets. This job would keep me home and take me back working in Mexico again.

For the second time in less than a year, I am starting over. This time I confess, I am happy about the opportunities, but I truly miss the desert which I grew fond of at the foothills of the Catalina Mountains and the open pastures of Patagonia. There will be different adventures to chronicle from the industrial border towns this time.

In the mean time, all of my work is for sale and I will be actively marketing it this coming year. My financial recovery is beginning but the huge deficits caused by the unemployment seem unsurmountable but I see some glimmer of hope. Now I need those interested in my work to buy or engage me and support my work. You can friend me on FB or reach me via my website or this blog.  My product offerings are all custom and range from 5x7 cards to 24x36 canvas prints. Truly there's more to my prints than meets the eye. There's a complete story. Go back and read my journey starting from March of 2010 to now…see the chronicled ups and downs. I've survived but still am struggling. Would appreciate you getting the word out about my work. Go ahead and share my blog with others.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Autumn Selfie
iPhone
Keller, TX

We've had a delightful autumn here in North Texas. The temperatures have brought morning chills to the air and the other otherwise humid mornings have turned brisk and almost frosty. A few clouds have rolled in too softening the autumn afternoon lights subduing the contrast we always find in north texas arduous summer heat. Welcome change has hit us refreshing our souls and making us eager for fall festivities prior to the onset of winter.

Although not as obvious there's change going on within me too. As I hit my stride in the early autumn of my life, I am desperately seeking answers to questions about what I value and want. For years I had mastered the art of self flagellation and criticism and now I recognize that it served no purpose other than self mutilation and destruction. I am not this horrible person I once thought but rather a creative kind person who loves and values his friends and family.

Mid-life and the associated mid-life crisis is nothing more than mid-life discovery. My brain requires me to think about what is important to me. While I was in Tucson each day, I valued the strength which the mountain and the surround landscapes offered me. It became my duty to chronicle the changes I witnessed with both my camera and written word.

Life is more than work and even more than family. You can't have one in front of a television or at a desk working all the time. Life is meant to be interactive. You have to go out into it and experience it. To that extent my passion brings me out of my mind and into the reality of the universe itself. Live your life and engage it.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Locus of Perspective

Restaurant at Stockyards
Fort Worth, TX

Fall hit north Texas yesterday. A cool front brought much needed rain and day time temperatures dropped a comfortable fifteen degrees. We received a much needed reprieve from the humid temps soaring a hundred and above.

Took the opportunity to become a tourist in my own backyard, Fort Worth. Decided to saunter through the stockyards with nothing but an iPhone in hand. Forced to take shots which hone my composition skills. Actually its how I view life any way, a series of memorable warm vignettes, this is me.

It's not that I choose to dwell on the positive, it's simply a fact that the positive resides inside of us and cannot be reached externally. You determine how good or how bad. It's your judgement/perception of any situation. How you process that information is ultimately what determines the degree of good or bad. Gratitude makes a whole lot of difference. Bottom line be happy with what you have today and what you can enjoy and do today. The world is there for you to live and see.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Ocotillo Sunset

Ocotillo Sunset
iPhone Inspiration: Catalina Foothills
Tucson, AZ

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, 

people will forget what you did, 

but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

― Maya Angelou

Sitting here this morning trying to get the words to flow and the images to gel. Listening to some melancholic yet mellow banjo music featuring Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, "Love Has Come for You".  Just trying to drown out the noise in my head which despite all I see doesn't want to let me go and give me peace. I know its time to turn up the volume on all things which give me pleasure and engage me back into a real and wonderful life. Got a lot of living to do yet.

Found this bit of poetical inspiration from one of my favorites, Maya Angelou. The sentiment of the quote is precisely what my photography has been about. Cant speak to as you view my images, but if the image could, I would want it to speak volumes and make you feel something even inspire.

God knows that I am off the charts when it comes to love, warmth, and caring. It was not, however, my own doing; while Romulus and Remus were raised by wolves, I was raised by a mother and two sisters who shared their incredible love and affection with me. In many ways, I speak their language and I share that with both the men and women I meet. This was a taught behavior and am so glad they shared with me the language that most men do not speak. It's added an incredible dimension which appears in my art and prose.

If you have a chance today go ahead and listen to the banjo music, get out, and let yourself feel something else than the reality of responsibility. Greet someone, meet someone. Get your life back.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

You Never Know

Headwaters of the San Pedro River
Whetstone, AZ

My job often takes me to remote locations off the beaten path. Have to admit there are times I wonder what I am doing and why. Then I encounter something out of the ordinary. Something which catches my eye and heightens my curiosity. There's always time to pull off to the side of the road and compose an image.

Junk Yard
Whetstone, AZ

Several weeks ago my assignment was to visit a landfill and also  find an abandoned junk yard. Truthfully this was beyond a the beaten path and remote enough that it could not be found on a GPS. It was well worth the trip down several unpaved gravel roads. At a dip in the road, in the midst of the high desert, I found this refreshing stream surrounded by stately cottonwoods. The light peaked through clouds and branches and softly lit the grass along the stream. Everything was picture perfect. I took a few shots from my car window and then moved on.

Down the road was my find, the abandoned junk yard, amongst cottonwoods and unkept trailer homes. Old rust cars were strewn everywhere in all directions what appeared to endlessly. Still another photo opportunity of a different kind. This time I used my iPhone and thought about the story I would tell. You never know what you will find. Somehow for me, I find the time to make it all pretty and right. My heart wants it that way and my spirit won't give in until I make it so.

Just a Walk

Near Sin Vacas
Catalina Foothills
Tucson, AZ

"God never made an ugly landscape. 

All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild"

--John Muir

Walks afford me the opportunity to purge my mind and refresh my soul. The undulation of the mountainside gives me a natural baptism.  When I emerge, I am reborn by the evaporated moisture of sweat and the opening of the eyes.

My choices are limited by my exile and I am driven by awakening senses. To that extent, the wilderness experience has sharpened my visual and spiritual perceptions. Each day has fractions of unique experiences which I try to capture, interpret and share, like a Catholic cantor. You've unwittingly become parishioners. a live audience. To that extent, my chronicling is equally mine as it's yours. This cantor/chronicler is motivated by not solely his senses but by your reactions. Hope the images do not disappoint. Every now and then let me know.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Tubac For Sure

Artist Residence
Tubac, AZ

Tried hooking up with a local photographers' group yesterday hoping to connect with kindred spirits. I was disappointed the group really was more point and shoot than I am accustomed. Right now, I am looking to be challenged. I am not interested in doing it like everyone else or for that matter care. It's more about my rules and how I see it now.

It seems that here in the desert, in the stillness of the outdoors, I've found my own voice in its solitude. So now I experiment with images captured strictly for composition merits. My heart renders the tones and moods as I process them later. My images as of late are surrounded by melancholic shades but driven towards light. I paint both in to add drama and contrast, we live with both.

Today was chilly but sunny. Knowing that to waste a day is waste creative time, I chose to explore somewhere new. Packed up some gear and two iPhones and headed south towards Nogales. Stopped at the artist enclave known as Tubac.

There are endless shops of artisans and vendors in this quaint community. I strolled at a brisk pace simply to keep warm. Around several corners and past the old church, I met an artist who was working outdoors in a courtyard, taking in the sunshine and the good company of friends and spectators. Within a short time I made friends with the strangers as we talked about art, inspiration, and places to live: Tucson vs. Tubac.

Left only because the sun was moving in my favor and I knew I needed to get a few frames in before dark. As I was walking back to my car this old artist gallery and residence caught my attention. The light appeared to be working right and I shot off three exposures on my iPhone. The rest was an exercise in interpreting the light and colors which struck me there at that time of day. I suppose I was also inspired by my new friends too.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Enlightened in the Desert

Down The Road at Dusk
South of Tucson, AZ

Have been in a zone lately. It no longer matters to me which camera I use my iPhone or my Canon 5D Mark II. Most of my focus has been strictly composition. The equipment is second. Post processing plays a significant role but without composition, there's no story to tell.

Every day I am inspired by what I see. I've become a student not only of the desert but of the light. I tolerate having to go into work before 7AM just so I can be home to catch fabulous light. Each day, I measure its intensity and open my senses to the myriad of image possibilities. My compulsiveness has found its value as has my sensitivity.

This stage of my life is not about what I have but rather of the images that I dream of still taking. It's all I want besides my family. It provides me with boundless joy. So as a fellow sojourner, I share my experiences with you. A photographic John The Baptist or Moses in the desert, either one, you chose. As I am awakened by my senses, I also invite you to see and know as I am reminded: we are here for the purpose to enjoy life not merely to toil, suffer, and endure it.

There are many more sunsets to catch and more light to see. Welcome to my new series Enlightened in the Desert.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

Hometown Odyssey

Highland Lake Hideaway
Winsted, CT

My hometown odyssey to Winsted, CT always fills me with mixed emotions. It's as if I am reading Dickens' Tale of Two Cities all over again. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of time." My town fills me with a tremendous sense of confusion and compassion.

It remains one of the prettiest places in all of New England. A town nestled in the foothills of the berkshires and surrounded by natural beauty. But it's also a town with a sad past and an even sadder future. It's void of hope and its young people leave at the very first opportunity they have. In essence the future alludes them.

A Gated Community
Mason Silk Company
Winsted, CT

By the time we were teenagers the last of the major industries were shifting production south to avoid both the union demands and to escape environmental legislation. By the early 70's, we were in the final phases of the industrial exodus.

Here's how our town's industry was once described: “Typical of New England cities of this size, Winsted has its share of industries, and manufactured goods bearing a local trademark are shipped to all points of the globe. Gilbert clocks, woolen products of the Winsted Hosiery Co. and the New England Knitting Co., electrical appliances made by the Fitzgerald Manufacturing Co., Jewell Manufacturing Co.’s wood articles, scythes, tools and similar implements turned out at the Winsted Manufacturing Co., and Winsted Edge Tool Works, the Mason Silk co’s thread, wire fashioned by the Sweet Wire Corp., Dano Electric and Hudson Wire concerns, the products of Union Pin and American Knife companies and name tapes of the Stirling Name Tape Co. are noted commodities.” 

Son Chief Electric
Winsted, CT

The companies that once pumped life into this berkshire community remain empty shells with no prospects for tenants. Those that could leave left and those left behind commute to other cities. It's all gone now. The industry is gone and so is the infrastructure that provided the tool and die makers and the machinists. What is left are a few fast food stores that dot the main street, a community college to help you leave the town, and stops lights to try to slow you down on your way out. It's a shame. A beautiful place that could be so much more, I wonder if anyone cares enough to bring it back.

My father and mother worked in these factories. In fact dad worked two jobs, one in New Hartford at Amseco, and in Winsted at the Mason Silk Company. Mom worked at the Old Gilbert Clock shop before they shut down and then finally at Son Chief Electric. I've memories of all of this and they remain vivid.

The decisions that large corporations make impact us all. We need to combine our resources and figure this all out again. Too much is at stake. People like me had to leave a beautiful place to chase a living. I suppose that makes me a contemporary nomad, and an industrial age bedouin.

www.photographybyalhernandez.com

One Room School House

Little Red Schoolhouse:
Winchester Center, CT

Headed back to Connecticut after a fruitful trip in the Catsklls. A strong wind and rainfall killed most of the color this past week so the colorful scenery was noticeably absent.

Drove up to Winchester Center in search of photographic gold. Found this one room old red schoolhouse. There was nothing special about it other than the opportunity it gave its children. Someone in that town even back then was a visionary.

Actually came back to the schoolhouse several times during my trip. I was drawn to it by the simple architecture and the vision of making dreams come true.

Il Signore Di

Il Signore Di
Keller, TX

Experimenting has become a way of life for me. Sometimes, the best tool is the only one you have at your disposable. If you hesitate, you pass on an opportunity.

Last week I had the opportunity to stop by an visit with my friend Giuseppe Di Stefano. As we were saying goodbye, I noticed the light near his doorway and the reflection of a makeshift curtain nearby. If I could capture him side lit and capture some reflected light, I though that I would have an interesting shot. The only tool at my disposal was my iPhone. Regardless, I snapped the shot and processed the results with several iPhone apps. As a final tweak, I fixed some facial features within Photoshop.

Photography at times is the mastery of imperfection. Neither tools nor time are always just to our liking. We forge ahead with the variables we face and simply do the best we can. In the long run, we end up mastering imperfection with makeshift tools. Nothing is ever perfect.

Reinvent Yourself

Self-Portrait
iPhone Artistry

"When we can no longer change a situation,

we are challenged to change ourselves."

Viktor Frankl

In nature, metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. We commonly witness this process in insects and amphibians. The process is typically accompanied by noticeable changes of habitat or behavior. A very real transformation takes place usually in an abbreviated time span.

Self Portrait: Il Fotografo

Several years ago, I too began a metamorphosis. Its catalyst was the fact that I could no longer change my situation. As much as I tried to get back into the corporate world and fit into the many careers I had held nothing seemed to take any more. Like the Viktor Frankl quote, I was challenged to transform myself. The artist and photographer which had always been present in my life came to the surface. It found and opportunity to emerge and transform me.

It's been a painful process coming out of the corporate cocoon, shedding the comforts of the skin, and learning to fly with new found wings. This is far from the end of my journey, but rather it is the beginning of my new life as an artist and photographer. There's no looking back now. I've shed what's held me back. With the help of my friends and the sacrifice of my wife, the metamorphosis continues as I explore new creative options. Its all unchartered territory for me.

You see it in my work from the fine art landscapes to the weddings and engagements with a fine art flair. As an artist I am finding my voice. It's important to not only express myself but to also convey the emotions that I am experiencing while on the metamorphosis journey. The safety nets are long gone all that I have to rely on are my skills: survival, finance, marketing, and photography. This is now me; the metamorphosis has exposed the real me. 

Many of you are now faced with similar issues. While we all can't be artists, we can choose to transform ourselves. We are resilient and all of us have more than one dimension. Changes beckons us to adapt and to also change ourselves. Take the opportunity to reinvent yourself.

Lost For Words

Lost for Words
iPhone Artistry

Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.
Emily Dickinson

Someone once advised me that I should open my heart each day to information, comfort, and guidance. Although I heard the words, its taken me a very long time to heed the unsolicited wisdom. There are many things that I don't comprehend and at times I can feel the undulations that life brings. When that happens, I tend to forget and get caught in the moment of the trough.

For someone who has spent a life figuring out financial swings and economic moods,uncertainty is far from welcomed. This is all new to me. Nothing is certain now. No more paychecks deposited automatically on specific days. Now all I know with certainty is that I must sell what I can create. In a very real sense what I think, see, feel, and capture is for sale. This is all raw and unchartered territory. It's unsettling.

There are times when I draw a blank. Neither words nor images flow. Today requires more effort as I dig deep within and find something to say. It's not automatic but it's something that I must do. I don't know what the future holds, but at the end of night, there's always dawn. In the mean time, pressing on is not a bad idea, nor is opening every door I can. Something is bound to happen that's positive for me. I refuse to give up hope. At this juncture, besides my family, it's all I have.

If you enjoy my art remember its all for sale. I have pieces available at various price points to meet all kinds of budgets. For those of you contemplating an event, please keep me in mind. You've seen samples of my wedding and portrait work also on this blog. You will not be disappointed. Contact me at al@photographybyalhernandez.com . For now, I'm lost for words except two: thank you.

Detour

Under Construction
Keller, TX

If you come to a fork in the road, take it.

Yogi Berra

Most major metropolitan areas have been deluged with simultaneous construction projects as a result of the stimulus plan enacted by Congress and the Obama administration. You don't have to travel far before you see a sign directing you find another way, go in a different direction.

Lately life has been filled with many signs mostly related to construction, things changing and being rebuilt. For the most part it seems that my journey has taken me through a zone that's under heavy construction and maintenance. I feel it and see it every day. What use to be routine takes twice as long. I'm constantly having to wait, circle, circumvent, and go around some kind of hurdle.

The fact is that the only logical choice is to accept the detour. The sign announces the warning of change and it's no up for debate. It requires no consensus on my part. It's forced acceptance. I have to forge ahead;  adapt with the knowledge I have at hand. It has nothing to do with what I desire. It simply is a fact: this road is closed, follow the detour.

In a very round about way, the detour will eventually take me to my destination. It just requires more time and perhaps even more effort. The choice is simply don't follow the detour and I wont arrive where I want to go.

As ridiculous as Yogi Berra sounds, hey, just take the detour. It's the only choice you have.

A Little Reality

Lone Hand

My days are not necessarily typical of what most folks encounter.Today's elderly driving tour of duty took me twice to the doctor. There was nothing routine on my first trip other than that the oncological waiting staff was accustomed to the needs of their patients. To them everything was rote: complete the paperwork on the clipboards, note any changes, have a a seat and wait to be called. You will either have a CAT scan for post operative testing or you will be going in for chemo of some kind.

It was all so mechanical but I realized that each patient there was on some sort of accelerated time clock. There was a pretty good chance that for some their battle was drawing to a conclusion. While sad these folks all know with certainty that they have to live the amount of time allotted.  Seems rather unfair both the knowing and not knowing, but then again they have an opportunity to make remaining minutes, hours, days, and months count.

Those with regular day jobs have little time to think about what's down the road. We all envision this great retirement life where time will be our friend and we will be able to enjoy all the pleasures postponed. The reality is different. None knows what we will be able to do with any certainty. Postponed pleasure is simply that. You may never have the opportunity again.

We have today. It's ours to enjoy and live. Don't wait.

Right to Bare Arms

Right to Bare Arms
Roanoke, TX

Your body is a temple, but how long can you live in the same house before you redecorate?  ~Author Unknown

Our waitress at our favorite breakfast dive continues to amaze me with her tattoo puzzle. The tattoos I've previously posted and those posted today are all from the same arm!! 

Angel on Elbow

As she came by to wait on our table, I inquired about other tattoos on the arm and she told me about the fairy on her elbow. She asked me if I would like to see it and proudly modeled it for me, as if it would flap its wings and leave before I would get to view it.


Don't know if I am amazed more by the art, the surface of skin that she has covered, or by the amount of pain endured by the canvas. Regardless, the volume of human graffiti is actually quite stupefying on a lady.


As she was getting ready to leave our table, I saw one more tattoo, a pistol on the inside of the tender part of her right forearm. Without even thinking I thought and smiled, "this woman is packing heat". I knew she would once again have to be in my blog. Then I thought again about the symbolism of this tattoo and its placement and thought: "aha, this is about the right to bare arms!" Our waitress literally wears her beliefs on her sleeves. She says what she means and means what she feels. Pretty amazing if you were to ask me. Suppose we shouldn't be afraid of either regardless of someone else's opinion of us.