Has there ever been anything in your life that you didn't think you'd ever get to do, or to see, or to experience and then suddenly you get a chance to do or see or experience that thing?
I knew I wanted to be an artist since I was four years old. I was always looking at art and reading about it. When I was a teenager I would take the bus downtown and walk to the city library. I'd go up to the second floor where the Art room was located. I'd wander the stacks, picking up books at random, leafing through them. If they interested me, I'd keep looking, if not, I'd put them back and move on.
The most interesting books were "oversized" and stacked separately from the others. I learned about the artists, and basically taught myself the history of Art. I'd often end up sitting on the floor in the stacks, reading. In this way I discovered Albrecht Durer, Franz Hals, Edouard Manet, Paul Cezanne, Georgia O'Keeffe, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, John Singer Sargent, Stanley Spencer, and later, Frank Stella. I also discovered the architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Eero Saarinen.
I read about Saarinen's Gateway Arch, and read about how they built it. I was fascinated. I've always loved simple graphic geometric shapes. The Arch exemplifies that. It is a simple, elegant shape, and it's timeless. I loved it as soon as I saw a picture of it. I thought I'd love to see it, but it's in the middle of the country, 1200 miles away from where I live. There was literally no reason I'd ever get out there to see it. I had relatives out west, but I didn't know anybody who lived smack dab in the middle of the country.
So when I accepted the offer to speak and teach in St Louis where the Arch is located, I wondered if I'd get a chance to see it. When Julie and I were discussing our itinerary I mentioned I wanted to see it. I don't remember how we figured out when we'd get to see it, but on Sunday morning, after we had breakfast, we drove to it.
I was more excited than a six year old at Christmas.
And it did not disappoint.
I've been to Yosemite Valley and stood at the base of El Capitan and at the top of Yosemite Falls. I've stood on the continental divide, twelve thousand feet above sea level. I've been to the Washington Monument. I've been to the Eiffel Tower. I've climbed the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. I've been to the New York City and the Empire State Building. I've been to the Guggenheim Museum. I've seen the Golden Gate Bridge, but nothing was like that blue morning in St Louis with the glimmering Arch.
I ran right up to it and leaned against it. I touched it as high as I could reach. In fact, I touched it, and walked all the way around one of the legs, dragging my fingers along as I did. The base of the arch was scratched with graffiti that had been scrubbed off as high as anyone could reach, but above that it was pristine and shiny, and where it was in the sun, it was warm.
It was utterly and completely glorious. I was thrilled and exhilarated. I couldn't stop looking at it. I walked around and around it. When the sun hit it, it reflected it like a mirror.
It was stunning against the brilliant blue sky. I remembered a line from the movie Field of Dreams, "... a sky so blue it hurts to look at it."
Due to political squabbling, the government was shut down, and the monument itself was closed, so there weren't that many people there and we pretty much had the space to ourselves. While I walked around gawking, Julie noticed that visitors would approach the arch and touch it as I had done.
The arch is as wide as it is tall - 630 feet. I was surprised how far I had to walk away to get a picture of the whole thing in one frame. I was just in awe of it, of the day. I was filled with so much joy. It was as if I was floating on air.
I volunteered to take a picture for a German tourist,
Then he returned the favor and took this one of Julie and I.
That day, that morning, remains in my memory as one of the high points of my life. It was the most joyous event I had experienced in years and I don't think anything since has topped it. I've said it before, it was just exhilarating. I was glad I was able to share that experience with the person who has become my best friend, Julie.
In the last week, while we exchanged memories of this trip Julie wrote, "I was so happy to make you SO happy that day - it was awesome."
Yes it was awesome.
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