The More Things Change, The More They Remain The Same

Change is inevitable, it is a part of our everyday lives. We all learn to deal with change, some of us better than others. I, for one, tend to hold on to the "old", perhaps longer than I should. CD players, cell phones, flat screen T.V.'s.....you name it, I was probably among the last to jump on the bandwagon so to speak. After all, change for the sake of change is not always better, sometimes it is fueled by corporate greed. Take DVD players for example. We got along fine with VHS until the market was saturated, so along came the DVD player, suddenly we all had to go out and spend money on them,though our VCR's were fine. Yes, the quality was better, but the desire for the latest thing was a powerful force,and electronics companies knew (and know) this. So when I come across a place where change is not so noticeable, I cherish it. The picture which accompanies my post is of the Seneca grain elevator. The top image is a postcard from 1910 and the bottom image was made by me in 2007. Yes, some change is evident, but a person living in 1900 and brought back today would still be able to recognize his or her hometown. So change things if you must, but let's not destroy the evidence of our past in the name of "development".

Been Here Before

Ever visit a place and feel you are somehow connected to it? The I&M Canal is such a place for me. Upon my first visit I was overcome with emotion, actually choking back tears. Believe what you want about reincarnation, but how else can I explain the feelings I felt? It was as if I was coming home after a long absence. I also cannot get near a mule without becoming emotional, somehow, someway I was connected to this 96 mile ribbon of water. Hence my name "Muledriver", as I feel I was one of the many boys and young men (many orphaned or runaways) employed to guide mules pulling the barges up and down the canal. Since that first visit I have walked and photographed every inch of what is left of this historic canal. I never get tired of seeing it, I treat it as an old friend. The accompanying photo is of the Fox River Aqueduct, a 464 foot long bridge that carried canal boats across the Fox River at Ottawa,IL. The photo mirrors one from about 1920,though at the time I did not know about that photo. I am walking in the footsteps of those who came before me, and I feel honored to do so.

Historical Meandering

Wandering through an area steeped in history is a wonderful way to see where we have been and where might we be headed. I, for one, love to walk the old towpath of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The canal, which was completed in 1848 and de-commisioned in 1933 provides a rare glimpse into an era where most everything was done by the hand of man. Hand cut stone locks can still be seen and inspected up close, while one can imagine wooden canal barges being towed by mules at a leisurely 3 mph. You can almost hear the shouts of boat captains and the sound of water spilling into or out of a lock. Yes, walking the canal can really set you back 150 years to a time that man will never see again. In these days of ever changing technology, a look back at 19th century technology is an eye opening experience that should not be missed.