Cross Country Road Trip: The Lost Clips from Austin Dressman on Vimeo.
Showing posts with label alex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alex. Show all posts
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Epilogue
Today I found myself dipping back into the memory
of jagged mountains and beautiful people.
I traced the outline of the mountain horizon along the narrow roads of my mind.
I taunted the peeking sun behind the peak with an exuberant cackle.
I closed my eyes and the images of dramatically lit skies and beautiful nothingness was projected against my pupils.
I danced along the Columbia River with the persistence of a snare.
I saw the smiles and heard the laughter.
My heart jumped when I saw a whimsical redhead with a grin like a starlet and an eye like a lens.
My legs grew weak when I danced with a movie-loving linguist from Texas.
I embraced a dear friend I had missed.
We catapulted ourselves through red deserts and rolling green hills.
I stopped at a sight that made me undoubtedly reaffirm my humanity...
This was written while observing from the window:
"I am speechless.
Words cannot describe what I have just seen. The pictures and video do not do it justice. I just witnessed one of the most beautiful memories I will ever retain.
I Saw all the colors of the rainbow used on a Colorado plain. The rainbow itself was even present. It mocked the ominous funnel cloud attempting to form on the other side of the road. The image was perfectly drawn down the middle. Bright sunny green fields harbored the fully-shaped rainbow while dead neutral ground was looked upon by tornado clouds and neon lightning.
I saw two worlds collide at once. The rainbow quickly overtook the darkness making a leap across the highway. It shown brighter than ever against a glorious sunrise of golds and purples. But the storm slowly dissipated the arch of colors and begun to cry tears of anger as it threw blue electric down from the heavens on both sides of the road.
Just then, the two forces threw offensive punches in unison. The sun showered the clouds with brilliant embers while the storm met head on with the deafening rain and rolling thunder.
A beautiful array of calm formed across the spacious sky.
The face of God."
Pictures really don't do it justice. Trust me.
I will always be able to reenter this memory of Alex, of Mercedes, of Kelsie, of comforting mountains, of red deserts, of calm rivers, of the beating sun, of empty roads...of God in the form of people and places.
of jagged mountains and beautiful people.
I traced the outline of the mountain horizon along the narrow roads of my mind.
I taunted the peeking sun behind the peak with an exuberant cackle.
I closed my eyes and the images of dramatically lit skies and beautiful nothingness was projected against my pupils.
I danced along the Columbia River with the persistence of a snare.
I saw the smiles and heard the laughter.
My heart jumped when I saw a whimsical redhead with a grin like a starlet and an eye like a lens.
My legs grew weak when I danced with a movie-loving linguist from Texas.
I embraced a dear friend I had missed.
We catapulted ourselves through red deserts and rolling green hills.
I stopped at a sight that made me undoubtedly reaffirm my humanity...
This was written while observing from the window:
"I am speechless.
Words cannot describe what I have just seen. The pictures and video do not do it justice. I just witnessed one of the most beautiful memories I will ever retain.
I Saw all the colors of the rainbow used on a Colorado plain. The rainbow itself was even present. It mocked the ominous funnel cloud attempting to form on the other side of the road. The image was perfectly drawn down the middle. Bright sunny green fields harbored the fully-shaped rainbow while dead neutral ground was looked upon by tornado clouds and neon lightning.
I saw two worlds collide at once. The rainbow quickly overtook the darkness making a leap across the highway. It shown brighter than ever against a glorious sunrise of golds and purples. But the storm slowly dissipated the arch of colors and begun to cry tears of anger as it threw blue electric down from the heavens on both sides of the road.
Just then, the two forces threw offensive punches in unison. The sun showered the clouds with brilliant embers while the storm met head on with the deafening rain and rolling thunder.
A beautiful array of calm formed across the spacious sky.
The face of God."
Pictures really don't do it justice. Trust me.
I will always be able to reenter this memory of Alex, of Mercedes, of Kelsie, of comforting mountains, of red deserts, of calm rivers, of the beating sun, of empty roads...of God in the form of people and places.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Abandoned Summer
The clear plastic "G" sat in the passenger seat next to me. "Try Our 3 New Angus Choices" was now "Try Our 3 New Anus Choices". We sped away from the McDonalds like idiot teenagers on a midnight ride.
Something was in the air that night. Youth, if that's what you want to call it, was running in the gutters. The angst we thought we had all lost came rushing back like a shot in the night.
I struggled to hear the conversation Brian and Alex were having in the front of the car. The melodic music of someone I had never heard was absorbed by the back of my head. I gave up on trying to enter the conversation and instead sat back and looked out the window. We passed streets I had passed many times and old back-roads I seldom turned down. I saw flashes of memories that once controlled my mind. Incidents and people who now seemed foreign...something my mind tends to do with the past. The sounds of the car and the music and the voices seemed to twine together as one in a beautiful symphony of life. The dark marks on my shorts continued on to the top of the tan line on my knee. I was reminded of what took place earlier that night and smiled to myself...I let myself slip into the fresh memory...
Brian and I jumped out the car, me fumbling with my shoes on the way out. Alex sped the car up and we both darted towards the sudden red neon. Brian jumped on the front hood and I climbed on the back windshield, my hands finding their way through the open window to the interior handles in the roof of the car, locked in anxious excitement. I looked around nervously, the newly finished residential road spotted with a few homes under construction. Movement pushed my body against the car. Dirt from the back of the car left streaks on my leg and pants. Alex hastily turned up the soundtrack to the escapade and sped down the road.
I had the better end of the car, Brian slid around the hood laughing and screaming until Alex sprayed windshield wiper fluid in his face. Then there was mostly screaming. I leaned my stomach against the back, lifting my hands free into the wind. I shouted into the sky, closing my eyes and wishing the wind would lift me into the the stratosphere. The car lurched and I was pushed to the roof of the car. I questioned our childish actions for a moment but let myself fall back into youth. I rested my head on the roof and stared at the blur of houses and streetlights. Life is so simple in moments like this. It was all clear, set out before me. It happened again, it hadn't happened in a long time...In the rush of the wind and music and laughing I saw the face of God. Then the car stopped and it was my turn to ride the front.
...I managed to hear talk of some girl Brian was interested in through the symphony of sounds. He needed a good girl. If anyone deserved one it was Brian. I wanted one too.
I finished off the rest of the Mexican Coca-Cola we bought and watched my shadow dance against the opposing car door fabric. I noticed my silhouette and saw myself in a way no mirror had ever reflected. I saw my wants, I saw my desires, I saw my friends, I saw my faith, I saw my family, I saw love. Gratitude trickled down my spine, collecting at my fingertips, numbing my mind. I closed my eyes.
Something was in the air that night. Youth, if that's what you want to call it, was running in the gutters. The angst we thought we had all lost came rushing back like a shot in the night.
I struggled to hear the conversation Brian and Alex were having in the front of the car. The melodic music of someone I had never heard was absorbed by the back of my head. I gave up on trying to enter the conversation and instead sat back and looked out the window. We passed streets I had passed many times and old back-roads I seldom turned down. I saw flashes of memories that once controlled my mind. Incidents and people who now seemed foreign...something my mind tends to do with the past. The sounds of the car and the music and the voices seemed to twine together as one in a beautiful symphony of life. The dark marks on my shorts continued on to the top of the tan line on my knee. I was reminded of what took place earlier that night and smiled to myself...I let myself slip into the fresh memory...
Brian and I jumped out the car, me fumbling with my shoes on the way out. Alex sped the car up and we both darted towards the sudden red neon. Brian jumped on the front hood and I climbed on the back windshield, my hands finding their way through the open window to the interior handles in the roof of the car, locked in anxious excitement. I looked around nervously, the newly finished residential road spotted with a few homes under construction. Movement pushed my body against the car. Dirt from the back of the car left streaks on my leg and pants. Alex hastily turned up the soundtrack to the escapade and sped down the road.
I had the better end of the car, Brian slid around the hood laughing and screaming until Alex sprayed windshield wiper fluid in his face. Then there was mostly screaming. I leaned my stomach against the back, lifting my hands free into the wind. I shouted into the sky, closing my eyes and wishing the wind would lift me into the the stratosphere. The car lurched and I was pushed to the roof of the car. I questioned our childish actions for a moment but let myself fall back into youth. I rested my head on the roof and stared at the blur of houses and streetlights. Life is so simple in moments like this. It was all clear, set out before me. It happened again, it hadn't happened in a long time...In the rush of the wind and music and laughing I saw the face of God. Then the car stopped and it was my turn to ride the front.
...I managed to hear talk of some girl Brian was interested in through the symphony of sounds. He needed a good girl. If anyone deserved one it was Brian. I wanted one too.
I finished off the rest of the Mexican Coca-Cola we bought and watched my shadow dance against the opposing car door fabric. I noticed my silhouette and saw myself in a way no mirror had ever reflected. I saw my wants, I saw my desires, I saw my friends, I saw my faith, I saw my family, I saw love. Gratitude trickled down my spine, collecting at my fingertips, numbing my mind. I closed my eyes.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
I'm feeling ill today, not in spirit, thankfully.
I saw a small child wave at me from a maroon minivan today while stuck in traffic. I smiled and waved back and pictured the satisfaction the child must have gotten from the gesture. Turning back around in her seat, a subtle smile spread across her face. The radio softly plays soft rock as her mothers plump forearm rests out of the open window.
It was the simplest of interaction between two human beings, and it gave both such a feeling of gratification. The scene was a comely thought that pushed me further into more thoughts of the beauty of the world:
-Christopher McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp
The thought that one mans flawed, but awe-inspiring view of life could transcend all the forces against it is comforting. Many claim he was lacking of common sense, stupid to go into the Alaskan wilderness so unprepared, his death by starvation inevitable.
And I agree.
But his passion and fervor are awe-inspiring. The over-romanticized version of the story told by Sean Penn in the 2007 film Into the Wild works because of that notion. He's a tragic hero, one full of flaws and inexperience. But his passion and radical message make up for his shortfalls. The vivaciousness of his idea of detaching from a materialistic society to live among the purity of nature is stirring. I thought the film was just beautiful, a true testament to the human spirit (or what the human spirit should be).
-I love when people tell me things and I replay them in my mind. Alex used this metaphor of his life going by like a train, because of how busy he was. Its a simple image but I made it this epic scene of Alex riding on a train, reflection against the lush passing forest. Images of the life he's leaving behind suddenly replace the scenery creating a surreal entrance into his thoughts.
-The other night I was at a party. Eventually we all piled into one bed in the corner of a room with no lightbulb and listened to some old vinyls. One by one people left, the size of the bed proving to be too small. I was left with just me and two friends who were half-awake, Pink Floyd's, "The Dark Side of the Moon" playing on the record player. I realized how chic and ridiculous the scene was whilst staring at the top of the bunk bed above me. But I felt privileged to be a part of such a moment. I thought "this must have been what it was like" as the screams and laughter from the other room found their way through the walls.
I think I want to make a habit of this. I'll focus my writing on movies and these "beautiful moments". It always makes me feel more at ease when I write things like that in here.
It was the simplest of interaction between two human beings, and it gave both such a feeling of gratification. The scene was a comely thought that pushed me further into more thoughts of the beauty of the world:
-Christopher McCandless, aka Alexander Supertramp
The thought that one mans flawed, but awe-inspiring view of life could transcend all the forces against it is comforting. Many claim he was lacking of common sense, stupid to go into the Alaskan wilderness so unprepared, his death by starvation inevitable.
And I agree.
But his passion and fervor are awe-inspiring. The over-romanticized version of the story told by Sean Penn in the 2007 film Into the Wild works because of that notion. He's a tragic hero, one full of flaws and inexperience. But his passion and radical message make up for his shortfalls. The vivaciousness of his idea of detaching from a materialistic society to live among the purity of nature is stirring. I thought the film was just beautiful, a true testament to the human spirit (or what the human spirit should be).
-I love when people tell me things and I replay them in my mind. Alex used this metaphor of his life going by like a train, because of how busy he was. Its a simple image but I made it this epic scene of Alex riding on a train, reflection against the lush passing forest. Images of the life he's leaving behind suddenly replace the scenery creating a surreal entrance into his thoughts.
-The other night I was at a party. Eventually we all piled into one bed in the corner of a room with no lightbulb and listened to some old vinyls. One by one people left, the size of the bed proving to be too small. I was left with just me and two friends who were half-awake, Pink Floyd's, "The Dark Side of the Moon" playing on the record player. I realized how chic and ridiculous the scene was whilst staring at the top of the bunk bed above me. But I felt privileged to be a part of such a moment. I thought "this must have been what it was like" as the screams and laughter from the other room found their way through the walls.
I think I want to make a habit of this. I'll focus my writing on movies and these "beautiful moments". It always makes me feel more at ease when I write things like that in here.
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