“Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.”
~ Eckhart Tolle
Some of my favorite people celebrate birthdays today. Lisa Banyai is one of them. As I’ve mentioned before, it was a number of conversations with her some ten years ago that inspired my current photo series Sacred Spaces. This morning she sent a text asking if I was headed to Keeneland to wager on today’s Belmont Stakes. She wanted a ticket for California Chrome. I couldn’t think of a better Birthday present for her. She also reminded me the first church we talked about shooting was the old church in Cadentown. Cadentown was an African American community formed after the Civil War near Lexington. So, after securing the wager tickets, off I went to continue Lisa’s birthday extravaganza. The last time I passed by this little church it was abandoned and overgrown. I’m assuming it was an A.M.E. church, but I could be wrong about that. At any rate, it’s now a residence, so I wasn’t able to explore as freely as I would like. Nevertheless, I popped off a few shots, feeling a bit like an evil spy or a creep while doing so. Lucky for me, the occupants didn’t unleash their agitated dog. I’m sorry California Chrome didn’t win, but I’m so grateful for Lisa’s friendship over the last 20+ years. Friend and horse are both winners in my book.
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