A Thousand Miles To Nowhere

Mile 179.6 – Sometimes I feel like my only friend is the city I live in.

- Anthony Kiedis

Aug 6, 2009 – It was announced this week that the town of Provo has formed a committee to improve the city’s image. Although city officials aren’t sure how much the imaging effort will cost, it has been budgeted at $205,000.

Mile 171.2 – The Geographer

“Trade winds find galleons lost in the sea,

I know where treasure is waiting for me.”

- Jim Morrison

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

July 31, 2009 – “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”

-  Felder,  Henley and Frey.

Mile 160.3

Riders on the storm

Into this house we’re born

Into this world we’re thrown

- Jim Morrison

Mile 157.5 – “She hears them talk of new ways to protect the home she lives in,

Then she wonders what it’s all about when they break down the door.”

“Her name is Brown or White or Black, you know her very well,

You hear her cries for mercy as the winners toll the bell.”

- Robert Plant

Mile 150.1 – Waiting for work