The idea behind the old Chinese curse “may you live in interesting times” is that those times are not usually interesting for good reasons. So, obviously, Covid and the upheaval it caused have made times interesting, but I’ve also been dealing with interesting times at my day job, work which is stressful even in normal times.
It hasn’t been all bad, though. I had a book of my photography published, which definitely felt rewarding. I’ve never been motivated by likes or exposure, and view this blog almost as a personal journal more than anything else. That said, having a book come out felt validating. I had a couple TV interviews, and was asked to do live presentations on my work a couple times. The last of these was quite an undertaking that added to these interesting times, albeit in a rewarding way.
But that brings me to the here and now; the title of this post referring to both where these pictures were taken as well as my present level of burnout. Maybe it helps explain why I’m just now getting around to posting photos from a year and a half ago. Anyway, here we are: a hot August in central/southern Illinois. Our goal that day was this old Victorian mansion, but we also came across a freight train left on a disused stretch of rail in the woods, as well as an old farmhouse that perhaps wasn’t as abandoned as we thought it was.
For those who might be interested, here’s a link to where you can buy the book. It is part of the publisher’s larger “Abandoned Union” series, and my scope was Chicago and the surrounding area. If you decide to check it out, thank you!
Now, the photos:
