The Treasure Hunter
The Treasure Hunter, Lake MichiganNot many of us are at the lake this early. I am proud of myself for finding it, with only the view from my 18th floor window to guide me in the right direction through city streets that are still drowsy, hours away from the morning rush.
There is the runner, who sheds her shoes and stretches facing the lake as if bowing in devotion. And there is the treasure hunter, who scans the sand with his metal detector, pausing for examination every time it squeals. He pokes a hole with his toe, and if further beckoned, he kneels. And digs.
Back and forth, one row and then the next. Now here's a man with stories to tell, of possessions lost and found, and surprises just below the surface.
I lose myself in this picture.
I feel a kinship with him, every morning when I rise before the rush and my hand walks from left to right across the page. Back and forth, one row and then the next. We both listen for things that want to be found. He is catching metal; I am catching words. A whole story, if I'm lucky. If I listen, and then bend low to really dig.
There is a new comfort in my Brooklyn mornings since we greeted the day on that shore. I imagine him there, and the two of us treasure hunt together.
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Monday, August 10, 2009 at 7:59PM Jen Lee | 5 Comments | in Writing, creative work Share Article | Permalink
Reader Comments (5)
Jen, I have been newly lurking around your blog, and I find myself using Google Reader to "share" half of your posts with my best friend. I really appreciate your images - both the verbal and the visual. Thank you for greeting the day with me!
Treasure hunting is such a powerful metaphor for the process. Thanks.
Oh, treasure has been a word that resonates with me a lot lately. As does this story about your early morning trek to the Lake's shore. That is the one thing I did not do while in Chicago, physically touch the sand, but I did giggle to myself every time I saw a seagull...they made me think of when I lived in Tampa Bay as a child.
I love the metaphor of treasure hunting, and of "listening for things that want to be found." Beautiful.
Hi Jen,
Found your blog thru Ali Edwards' blog. Loved your tutorial there today. I love the idea of starting with the words first and illustrating it with the photos. It's really causing me to think about telling my stories differently. I have a ton of old photos of my mom's. (She passed away 12 years ago). A lot of the photos mean nothing without the story behind them---other than identifying the people in them. I wish I had gotten the stories while she was alive. Even just a handful would have been wonderful.
Thanks for the great insight!
Leslie