Monday, August 09, 2010

Lasting impressions

Here's an e-mail I received a while back but was finally able to read today. It's from a lady cyclist I met in eastern Kansas. (I'm in Ohio now; walked all the way. I'll soon explain why there haven't been any new blog posts in four months.) I was kinda expecting a link to a painting with trees wrapped in barbed wire, but I was shocked and blown away when I learned that I'd inspired my own painting.
i met you on the road just outside of Yates Center Kansas. I on bike, you, of course ..... not. You were looking forward to getting new sandals, I hope they came.

I cycle tour solo every summer because it gives me life experience to feed my art and my soul. I make paintings along the way.

I told you I was going to make a painting about Kansas "hogging" its shade trees behind barbed wire fences. I made that painting, and I made one inspired by our visit as well. I made the painting not to glorify what you - we - do. Solo endurance and living our lives in a way most consider unusual. I made the painting because I was pissed that a man walking should be considered a criminal by those we are told to trust as our caretakers - police.

Not their fault really. It is an entire culture built on fear. You are different, there for something to fear.

see the paintings at

www.tmoore2.com/

teri
ps - I didn't think you were scary at all. I thought of you the same as the Kansas wildflowers that surrounded you.

On the back of the painting, Teri also wrote some notes about our meeting.

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2 comments:

  1. ER8/09/2010 11:37 PM

    Ryan, have you considered phoning the local police department as you enter the jurisdiction, and letting them know you're on the way through and what you're up to? I understand and agree this shouldn't be necessary in a free country, but it might help avoid trouble, and maybe they could even recommend some camping spots where you won't be harassed. Just an idea to try. Also, a friendly wave or nod goes a long way. I've noticed that cops tend to harass people who seem like they're trying to avoided eye contact. Another thing you might try is having some business cards made up that explain your "walking coast-to-coast" journey. Handing them one would validate your story and make it seem a lot less like you're just a homeless troublemaker they need to worry about. Again, shouldn't be necessary, but might help anyway. Sometimes it's better to go with the flow than fight it, just for the sake of avoiding trouble, even if it's not completely right.

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  2. Jeff8/15/2010 3:00 PM

    So, ER, you are suggesting that Ryan find the number of every local community police department he walks through and announce that he is walking through their jurisdiction? That is both very unreasonable and exactly the opposite of freedom. Papers, anyone?
    Police simply go too far all too often and maybe they shouldn't both him?

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