A Wheelchair View

Beyond the Silver Lining by Etha Walters I took this photo while sitting on the patio of my new apartment. The blue sky and big fluffy clouds greeted me with such promise for a fresh new start. When my husband told me a year ago that he wanted a divorce, I had no idea how much my life would change. The last six months have been the most devastating. I sold everything that I could to move including much of my photography equipment, and literally felt stripped of everything. This heavenly view, right off my patio gives me great hope in what is to come. It is just me and Miss Cleo (My cat) now, and I am adjusting quite well to my new environment, and yes, living alone. Moving furniture and boxes around with my body and my wheelchair reminds me that I am still strong and I can still do this. Other challenges take a little more practice and commitment, but that is just life in a wheelchair. Now that I am settled, it is time to rebuild my life. The kids are gone and I am now single ...

Jesi's Ghost - By Etha Walters Winston Churchill said “When you are going through hell, keep going.” He said this with the certainty that if we did keep going, we would come out on the other side. However, that doesn’t mean that we will come out unscathed or not have to shed a few layers, to leave part of ourselves behind. Life is a series of deaths and rebirths. It’s no wonder that religious foundations are built on concepts like reincarnation and being “born again.” No one that I know understands this better than my friend Jesi pictured above. Inspiration for “Jesi’s Ghost” came from her life and the times she has walked through hell. Her mother was murdered when she was young, she was a victim of abuse and neglect, the father of her oldest child committed suicide and still Jesi kept going. If I could alter Webster’s I would put Jesi’s picture beside resilience. Living through one thing would be horrific enough but Jesi has kept going grabbing the wisdom that comes from the...

Park Bench Secrets by Etha Walters First post of the New Year and I of course have many resolutions to achieve in 2011 which included a new commitment to my blogs. 2010 was a tuff year with financial hardships that resulted in having to sell some of my photography equipment just to get by. There was also an assault on my daughter that changed her life and ours. So we were glad to see the promise of change in a new year. In November, I started working at JC Penny. I am working as a greeter. It is a far cry from my profession and I had to choke down some pride in regards to stereo-types, but I am really glad that I did. The people that I work with are amazing, it is like entering a close nit family and I was a long lost cousin. The customers are awesome too. Every day I talk to someone new and I get something out of every conversation. I get told stories, jokes and people share little pieces of their life with me. I find myself feeling very blessed and inspired, creating photographs ...