September 4, 2012

I am Happy to be Carrying on the Tradition of Photographing from Horseback

I saw this photograph in a museum on Monday and it made my day. I gasped when it came up on the screen. Like it was there as a reminder for me to keep at it. It made me feel like I have been doing the right thing, at times at least, and to continue to follow my path and be sure to keep documenting the cowboying, the old timers and to get all their stories recorded. Along with continuing my cowboying.

But it also made me think to somehow convince myself that now will someday be the past - can't quite accept that one - but even the everyday stuff will feel foreign and out of date one day - especially since I work in a profession that is so based in the past as it is. Working at a job that requires riding a horse to work is a bit old timey and I sometimes forget that. Looking at this photograph was like being in the future and looking back at a photograph of myself on my Pony now and made me feel that time is relevant yet so irrelevant. I feel I could just as easily be back there now and many days feel I am when I am cowboying with the crew south of Belvidere. So lucky to be able to travel between now and then daily.

I thank the Adam's museum in Deadwood for displaying this photograph and for the cowboy with his camera on horseback - and whoever photographed him. Love it. ©JEAN LAUGHTON