Ofad | Office of Fine Art and Good Design

This sight was in part awe inspiring and very sad, flags blowing in the wind flapping across every step you took. 1776 Flags lining a series of bicycle paths and walk ways that make their way atop a bluff overlooking Pacific Coast Highway and Newport's Back Bay.

The flags flapping in the wind gave such somber tone, as if you were hearing thousands of faint whispers, Voices, tears, hopes and dreams of the now sleeping forever gone. I felt you could walk away with a great understanding if you stood there long enough, a feeling you connected to these lost lives. Instead of listening I did what I usually do, proceeded to shot way too many photos. Paying more attention to the process of what makes for a good photo and completely missing what I should be doing.

I'm no authority what so ever on what was to be said by this gesture but do hope that whom ever visited came a way with the same impression I got.

There should not be things like this in the world, events that take so many lives, the effect of war destroys and leaves all lives involved desolate; waste in it's path. There are no easy answers to how fucked everything is but you could always wish that we have less wars, less suffering, more apathy and more solutions that work to bring this fucked world into a better future.

- Mike