INTRODUCTION
On December 14, 2015, I headed to North Carolina to see my family and friends for the holidays, a trip funded by my uncle. It had been two years since my last visit to North Carolina. On the morning of December 16, after waking up from a peaceful night’s sleep in a hotel room in Shreveport, Louisiana, I pulled back my curtains. I discovered this beautiful image: the Eye of God, the Eye of Providence, the All-Seeing Eye, or whatever it’s called.
I packed my bags, checked out of my room, and continued my drive to North Carolina, arriving in Wilmington, North Carolina, during the evening hours of Thursday, December 17. On Friday, December 18, I returned to the 33rd parallel at Oak Island, North Carolina, where I took the following two photographs.
After completing my walk on the beach, I drove approximately 20 minutes further to Sunset Harbor, North Carolina, where I had spent most of my childhood. I had no idea I spent most of my childhood summers on the 33rd parallel.
Google Maps 2014
I left Sunset Harbor and drove to my hometown, approximately four hours away. I spent the next week visiting friends and family during Christmas. I had no idea at the time that it would be the last time I would spend Christmas with my sister. Christmas was her favorite holiday.
Earlier that year, I turned 54 years old. According to my numerology chart, I had entered the fourth and final “cycle,” or stage 4 of life. My number was 6 – “Can life be more beautiful? This is a period of harmony within a family and a time of love and happiness. However, the more responsibilities and obligations there are, the more demanding the family will become regarding attention and love. They focus their attention only on their family and friends. Some of them even marry and leave the oppressive family environment. Other people may try to take advantage of them. They have to learn how to keep their dignity. They can become a shoulder for crying, but they should not allow being manipulated by others. They should be careful about how much they give to others and maintain healthy relationships. This is the basic outlook of this period. If they do everything correctly, this period will be full of love and understanding, stable relationships and friendships. They will be the central persons in these partnerships. They are creative people, bringing peace and harmony between the opposing sides. They manage to find a solution in difficult situations. They are ready to take risks concerning their financial plan. They have a positive attitude towards their job and the authorities as well. If they have a hobby, they can be rewarded for it. They will learn how to act in relationships and give and receive love. They must realize how to direct their energy and adjust their obligations and interests. Others will recognize their capacity to help others. These people should pay attention to their health, particularly to their weight. This period reveals their kind, helpful, and gentle nature.” – YourLifeReadings.com
After returning to Phoenix, I spent the first few weeks handling apartment maintenance issues. Then, on Sunday, January 10, 2016, which just happened to be the sixteenth anniversary of my mother’s passing, the all-seeing eye reappeared. This time, it revealed itself as I left a shopping center in Phoenix, Arizona.
During the middle of the month, I finally got around to taking a trip to Hopi to visit Ahote and Tuwa. I also wanted to determine whether my work with the Hopi was complete or if there was still something more I needed to learn from them. I met up with Ahote on Monday, January 18, 2016. This day was quite an adventure for both of us when we drove up into the Hopi backcountry to explore.
As soon as we set out on our adventure, we discovered that the dirt roads had turned to mud due to melting snow brought on by warming temperatures. This made the trip quite memorable. We came close to getting stuck on several occasions, but Ahote somehow managed to keep the truck moving during the entire drive. After we reached our destination, Ahote parked his truck, and we started hiking toward one of the nearby mesas. It wasn’t long before we discovered some ancient petroglyphs.
Ahote asked me to take his photograph while he was standing next to the petroglyphs and then send him an 8″ X 10″ print of it once I returned to Phoenix. He wanted to add the photograph to his collection of images I had taken of him and his crops over the last several years. I told him that I would be happy to do that for him. As we continued our hike, it occurred to me that for the last 3.5 to 4 years, I had been Ahote’s photographer, helping him build a portfolio of images and books that he would someday leave behind as his legacy. After our hike, we returned to Ahote’s truck and returned to his village. This time, however, we headed to higher ground, where the dirt roads were still frozen and covered in snow.
We arrived safely back in his village about an hour later, and I returned to Phoenix later that afternoon. I then spent the next several weeks looking for inspiration. I knew that if I waited long enough, life would reveal itself in unsuspecting ways, so all I had to do was be very patient.
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