Shape And Shadow

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We all receive our character from the force we oppose and the least resistance we encounter. We flow along walls and into openings whether it's among families or within cultures. How we are perceived is a work in progress - a silhouetted ember glowing against the glare of our pasts. The shape we take in the mind of others is all about how our shapes got worked as we made choices about dealing with those things, people, and events which squared off our character.

"Everyone is broken by life," Hemmingway observed, "but some people are stronger in the broken places."

Rob Bowman, a local contractor says, "buildings should look different in Lancaster." Why? People expect that they will. Visitors expect that they will know when they have arrived here, even though they've never been here before. They expect that the form which the city's received will have come from the frontier it opposed, the culutres it attracted, from the opportunities it provided, from the influence it wielded. Cities are a legacy. But they are also a possibility. It's that balance which keeps them viable. When legacy dominates, cities become museums - Disney Adventures. The only work they provide is amusement . Which is perhaps the tragedy of New Orleans – a fate that cities like Lancaster must guard against.

GEEK STUFF: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EFS 17-85mm (f4-5.6),1/64 at f/14, exposure Bias value: -1, ISO: 200, Focal Length: 81 mm, Date/time: 7/31/07-6:07 pm, Metering Mode: Average, Camera RAW