The Research Phase

    I have not posted much lately because I have been more busy in the research portion of my "job". Writing up my own 'book' of interesting things to see in Tennessee, county by county, town by town. Well, interesting by my own personal taste and point of view. Not everyone cares about old buildings or water towers or weird signs. With every find of a hidden gem, I come across major disappointment. There is a Google Street View feature that allows you to sort of "time travel" by looking back in time at previous versions of that street view(if there are any available). And sometimes it is painful to see what is now missing.
   One town I just looked over, their whole downtown area, two blocks of a road along the railroad tracks and a few buildings up the main street, are now all completely gone. How sad is that? To just wipe out any sign that there was ever a town there. It hurts my heart in a way that I am sure most people do not understand. And it is why I photograph places. Because you never know when they will be gone. Because some day, someone like me might come along to research a place and wonder what it looks like-or used to look like. It is a shame when there is no proof that something ever existed.
   I am just sad now. But also bolstered by the places I 'discover' that should be remembered. And I will do my best to remember them.