Photo Essay

Lines

A.J.
Lines

Aer seeing my grandfather for the rst time, most

would not assume humor to be a quality he would
obtain. His pinched, whitening eyebrows, peppered
straw-like facial hair and washed out blue jeans do not
exactly scream funny. Upon closer inspec tion, one
might take note of his calloused hands, the lines in
them like that of a map, depicting direction and
history. Like the lines on his hands, t he lines on this
map go in several directions. This map shows where he
has been , the hours of hard work visibly displayed
through several scars,hardened callouses, and
countless wrinkles. It also notes the places he hopes to
venture - while his hands look w orn, they are strong
and full of anticipation, always working and never
tiring out. Those calloused worn hands are the ones
that took such time and used imme asurable precision to cra these paddles for each of his
grandchildren. My grandfather is not one for words. Instead he chooses to pour his time and
emotion into creating unique pieces of, what I would consider, art. These paddles hang in my
grandparents house as a joke, for when we misbehaved, these paddles that hung with our names
specically labeled on them were always referenced with a wink or a sly smile, never once being
touched. They represent more than just a joke though, they share the words that he would rather
create and put int his work than say. These detailed pieces symbolize a small display of my
grandfathers endless aection for something that we all admire most, family.

Many would nd it humorous the amount of time we

spent trying to nally snap this cliche picture of our
shoes, laces frayed and colors faded, overlooking the
city. Below us is a diverse city, one lled with a variety
of cultures,one that continues to go about its day. We
look down at this iconic city that, despite us not living
in it, has shaped who we are. We look down at the
sporadic and uneven roads that give the city its
character as we grow into our own. The lines of the
streets resemble the lines on our shoes, both worn ways of transportation. These lines resemble
those of our friendship. These girls that I have grown up with, our lives intertwined and connected
like those of a street. Our friendship forming early on in life, our timeline continuing on for years
aer and more years to come. This friendship is and might remain to be the most stable thing in my
life, its always present and dependable. Its obvious to everyone who knows us that we are all pieces
of each other, formed into unique individuals. Calling us friends doesnt sound right, it sounds too
distant. The strings between us are what tie us down, they keep us grounded and in place. These
girls are my family; the lines and connecti ons we share are webbed together to form an
unmistakable bond. We continue to grow together, mapping out our future as the present moves
forward.

I can easily recall this moment in time. I held on tight

to the hand of my smallest cousin as the chilling sea
breeze blew, goosebumps forming on our skin. The lot
of us sat on this rock, in silence (a rarity in our family),
as we gazed at the ocean. The waves were huge this
day, the ocean not resembling the one we had all swam
in the previous day. Our eyes wide and mouths shut as
nature aunted a fraction of its power. Though we are all very dierent and separate individuals, we
are connected through our bloodlines. Th ese ties are occasionally present to others, but show
themselves best when we all gather together. We have many traditions in my family, but by far my
favorite is our annual camping trip. I hated it at rst, not sure what to make of the quirky town in
which we camp, but aer a year or two of returning, it has wound up being a tradition I hold close to
my heart. These camping trips never fail to produce valuable memories; memories I will
undoubtedly carry with me into my future. These traditional trips are something I would love to pass
down to a family of my own one day. In a world where so many things become common and
mundane, its important to hold some things sacred. Our lineage is where we come from, but its up
to us to create our own maps of life. I hope to keep old traditions and family values close to my heart,
but I also hope to make my own traditions, to pave my own path. When standing on a line, one can
chose to do three things; walk forward, walk backward, or stay in place. I believe its important to
take all options into consideration. I think you should look to your past in order to construct a
positive future, live in, relish, and maybe even capture the moment of the present,and most
importantly, continue to grow and move into your future.