top of page
WANDERING, ETC.
SOME THOUGHTS AND PLACES FROM MY WORLD, ON ANY GIVEN WEEK.
REQUIEM FOR OAKLAND
8.17.2024
-
You know, being from somewhere used to mean something. How certain dishes became customary to certain areas, how a city built its fortunes on a specific industry, or how certain symbols or elements of nature represent a specific place. One such institution that is incredibly representative of areal pride in tons of locales across the world is an area's sports teams.
While sports may seem trivial in the overall landscape of life as a whole, for many they serve as a unifying voice representative of all principles unique to a city. A standout example of this is Oakland, California, a city which has seen some of its biggest icons ripped away at the hands of greedy rich owners, oblivious to the local importance of the teams. First it was the Warriors moving to downtown San Francisco, then the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, and soon to follow suit, the A's.
Billionaire A's owner, John Fisher, is public enemy #1 in Oakland, and maybe all of baseball fandom these days. His transgressions include the deliberate neglect of the Oakland Coliseum, fielding of inadequate teams at the professional level, publicly lying about his efforts to keep the team in Oakland, and charging fans more to come to games, all as part of his plan of sabotage in Oakland to consequently move the team to Las Vegas, NV. You can read more fine details about his and the MLB's malpractice handling this move here and here.
As the new stadium in Vegas is set to have ground broken in April 2025, the A's will be out of Oakland at the end of this year, come hell or high water, playing next season in the measly 14,000 capacity minor league stadium in Sacramento. In their wake, they abandon one of the most loyal fanbases in all of sports, the 40th largest combined market in America, and a blue-collar city with tons of history and racial equity importance.
With this impending turn of events, that meant August 13 through August 15, 2024 was the last time the Oakland A's would play in New York. It was a series against the Mets, and I felt the need to take the short train ride to Citi Field to be in attendance, document the historic moment, and pay my respects.
I love being at the ballpark in the summer, but this felt almost like a last farewell with a friend you'd never see again. It was entertaining, but eerie.
I may not be an original supporter of the Oakland A's, but as someone who comes from the blue-collar rust belt city of Syracuse, NY, I get it. I sympathize with the people of Oakland. Holding on to your areal points of pride means everything no matter where you go. Where you're from goes a long way in shaping who you are and who you become. Oakland lost another part of who they are, and I know fans feel the same way.
Being from somewhere used to mean something. Now, it feels like local identity is up for grabs to the highest bidder.
Hold things that are sacred to you close, because they can be bought out at any time. SELL THE TEAM.
♦
Camera: Minolta XG-1; Film: Kodak Portra 160
.jpeg)
PRESENT TENSE
6.19.2022
-
Recently (as you've probably noticed) I've been on a hiatus from this outpost of my thoughts and travels. Inspiration comes and goes. One thing that always remains constant, however, is how you respond to and handle things that come up in everyday life. This past weekend I played a show in New York, where I took the shots above during a walk on the Williamsburg Bridge after the show ended. Lately a recurring question/theme that has come up, not just for me, but for friends and colleagues, is how to take the present in stride as it relates to the future and your next moves. I've always been someone with pride in my ability to think several moves ahead, but a lot of my life it's hindered my ability to live in the moment. One of the biggest changes in me in recent years has been not just preaching the importance of being present to myself, but really using it to my advantage. It's easy to think about a goal you want for yourself in the context of a deadline by which you think it has to be reached, either that you've set yourself or that's been set because of resources available. I used to do that a lot, and I'd end up daydreaming and procrastinating more than working towards it. Shifting the focus to the power of what you can get done in a day is really liberating, and how rewarding that feels at the end of a day makes me never want to worry about what might happen later again. We worry about what's next when we can't notice our progress, and we can't notice our progress if we try to do it all at once. You guys know that I have a metaphor for everything, and that I like hiking (see previous entry). You'll never get that accomplished feeling of reaching the end of a trail if you're worrying about the trip back, instead of enjoying the view at the top. That view at the top is the accomplished feeling that you can feel at every checkpoint of a process, and the one that makes me want to build on it the next day. The other part of this and arguably the most important part: Letting the future and finality of time give you humility. There's going to be a day when I won't be so blessed with youth. There's going to be a day where I may not be able to pursue the same things I am now. Any success and progress you've accumulated can be taken away in an instant. Knowing these things makes me feel grateful for the present, and keeps me humble to the point where I don't want to take whatever stage of life I'm in for granted. I feel more awake now than almost ever before.
"Everything I've ever loved will crumble into dust, until that day I will stay humble as a slug." - Yafet's Song by Milo.
♦
.jpeg)
THE EARTH
4.22.2022
-
Last week I went hiking. One of my favorite pastimes, and one of my favorite ways to re-center myself while giving my body the animation it needs. One of the reasons why it's one of my favorite things to do is because it's the purest, simplest way to appreciate the world around you, and all you have to do is walk into the woods. However, this isn't about things I like doing, but more about what to be mindful of as today is Earth Day. Don't make today the one day to celebrate Earth's beauty, the one day to do something for the environment. Do it every day and use today to reflect on what it means to be on this planet, today in its present state. Reflect on what your habits relating to the planet are and how you've improved on them in the past year, and how you can continue to improve on them between now and the next time you look at your calendar and see the pre-notated date in April that reads, "Earth Day". Reflect on how if we don't all do better, your favorite things about nature may not be there anymore if we take it all for granted.
Camera: Nikon D7000
.jpeg)
EARLY SPRING
4.7.2022
-
Walking down the street it's hard not to notice. The trees are full of those tiny flowers that we always seem to forget exist as winter is breathing its final sigh. Living/growing up in the Northeast US, having seasonal trust issues for the weather is just a part of life here. But spring (I think) is finally here. Being born in the fall, I'm definitely more of a fall guy. However, there's absolutely nothing like the anticipation and hopeful aura that the early spring brings. We become more aware of our surroundings, as the freshness in the air and the new color wherever you look - that seemingly appears overnight - makes us all say a collective, "Oh yeah, this is what being outside really looks like". In becoming more aware of these surroundings after our minds and bodies thaw from the winter, we become more aware of ourselves. Flowers aren't the only thing blooming in this new season. Ideas, inspiration, opportunities, and love all seem to present themselves in the same gradual abundance as the flowers delicately decorating trees this time of year. Take it all in. Look around you. Make time for yourself. Go outside. Let go of old negative energy like the late winter lets go of the snow. Let yourself feel one with the stillness of warmer evenings, the cleansing of the April rain, and embrace the changes around you like the landscape is embracing the change of seasons.
Camera: Minolta Freedom Zoom 90C
Film: Kodak Portra 400
ORDINARY WEEKEND
3.31.2022
-
This past weekend I went to my friend's show in Union City. Not only was it exactly what I love doing when I go out, but it got me thinking a lot about my surroundings and where I've chosen to be over the last (almost) decade. Sometimes when you're where you're supposed to be, it doesn't matter who you know and who you don't, the conversations just seem to flow as if everyone is speaking the same language. That language is art, music, and creative energy, and the place is New Jersey. The experiences are unique and the people have unmatched drive and resourcefulness. It's a community that's embraced me and let me be myself for the most important artistic years of my life. This is a shout out to all the people that gave me a network here, and a shout out to all the creators in the creative capital of America: NJ.
Camera: Minolta Freedom Zoom 90C
Film: Kodak Portra 400
INTRO
3.21.2022
-
Hi everyone. I'm going to start sharing more things here. I have a lot of weekly travels and thoughts, and images attached to them. I used to be more comfortable sharing on social media, but I just feel like my old avenues of sharing content are trying to phase out any soul, originality, or thoughtfulness. So I figured I'd keep a journal here and try to cultivate a more intimate community while sharing a love for visual art, travel, and just generally being sentimental. Welcome and thanks for reading!
bottom of page