An Adventure in Mediocrity

Tim Clark

3 years ago

Driving down the freeways of America is a great way to find out a little about yourself. Without all of the life and civilization intruding into a trip you have time to look inward.

This unique opportunity for introspection, this chance to examine what is important is so hard to find in today’s hyperconnected, constantly plugged in world. Each of us carries ideas, thoughts, dreams, constantly bubbling subcutaneously. Percolating, flowing, ebbing and waning, waiting to break through. Aching to be discovered. On this trip, for example, an idea came bounding through. Popping out, demanding action.

I sprang from a packing stupor and downloaded an ecard app (appygraph, if you are interested, and for a free app it is remarkably flexible). I am going to use it to document the trip through the heartland. I am going to post a progress report on Facebook.

I am not an artistic photographer, my hands shake too much, and my impatience, and haste force me to rush the shot, so I am going to pass the beauty and take pictures of the more ordinary. Figuring it is best to leave the beautiful, spectacular vistas, and gorgeous scenes filled with color, contrast, and all of those important artistic elements to those steady-handed, rock-solid, keen-eyed photo geeks with their expensive cameras and multiple lenses, apertures and focal lengths walking around with bags, and straps, and light meters, acting as though they have some sort of spiritual attachment to the simple practice of pointing a machine at an object and pushing a button, like that takes some divine, instinctive talent… Oops.

Anyway, I will focus on the more average, more typical snapshots of Americana. It will be Postcards From the Mundane. A series, by Life Explained.

At some point, it will become an award-winning documentary with musical accompaniment by an artist to be named later. But, you will not to wait that long, get on the bandwagon while there is still room, and the ticket price is still reasonable.