I miss Deep Creek Lake so much. I can't wait to be there, my home on Friday, because that is my home. Home is where the heart is. And my heart is indeed located near a small cottage, only a few feet from the water, back roads surrounded by farms and fields, with only the wind and the sound of the water to echo. No distractions of city life. No internet or phones, nothing.
How do I love this place then you ask, without outside communication? Allow me to tell you. It's not about keeping in contact with the world. It's about enjoying life and the places that God has given to us. If you don’t take time to feel the wind blow in your face, gaze at the stars for hours at night, listen to the sound of tree frogs and crickets, hear to the crackle of the dead leaves being stepped on in the woods, or feel the water splash on your feet, then what are you doing with your life?
It’s not just the place though. The people there are incredibly friendly and sweet. If you ask around the people who were here a few generations before us, you’ll find out that our grandparents, and some of our parents walked the streets at night without fear. They didn’t worry about being kidnapped or raped by some random stranger. That was because everyone knew basically everyone in the town. There was this thing called TRUST. Have you ever heard of it? Well today it’s gone.
At Deep Creek, even though it is full of many rich and snotty people, it is more populated by those who know that they only are able to be there because of their former relatives who have passed on and left their plot of land and house to their children and grandchildren. My great grandfather purchased our property in 1952 for roughly $5000. Today, it is worth nearly one million dollars. No, we don’t have a fancy 3 story house with huge windows and wrap around decks like many of the people down there do. We don’t have a huge yard or an amazing living room furnished with leather couches and a flat screen 50” television. We don’t have internet as I already mentioned. The only phone service we have is a landline that you can only receive calls on, or call an emergency number on. There is no cellular service around.
People ask me all the time at school if they can text me. And of course, I say no because I do not have texting. Mostly because I am on my work’s cell phone plan, and they only pay for the simple cell with calls only. Therefore I do not have texting. And once I have enough money to get my own phone, I honestly do not want it anyhow. It’s just a distraction. You can Facebook me, or call me. I don’t need my pocket vibrating all day long. I know if I had texting I wouldn’t be able to resist replying right away. And then my summer would be ruined when I remembered that I had no service at Deep Creek. So I’m going to avoid it as long as possible.
There is so much more to life than sitting in front of a computer. One thing that makes me love photography so much is the fact that I get to be outdoors. Rain or shine, a photo shoot will go on. And I can enjoy looking for details, lighting, and locations. It is amazing what beauty you can find when you take time to look for it.
Yes, I know I am one to talk when it comes to computers. Some of you may say I am addicted to Facebook, and you’re right. I’m also addicted to editing my pictures. Now that I have a Mac and Photoshop CS5 Extended Version, I am quite often to be found in my room on my computer, working or playing around with effects. It is experience, but there is a time when I need to give my eyes a rest. I stare at the computer all day at work, and then I come home and stare at my Mac or my laptop. Some days, the only break time I give myself is to eat and sleep. Yes, I know this will affect me as I get older, especially my eyesight. And I’m going to have to change. And summer is my break time.
A few things I am really looking forward to this summer are kayaking, swimming, jogging, star gazing, canoeing, photography drives, waterfalls, hiking, etc. You get the point.
Some of you don’t know this, but I absolutely hate sand. I can’t stand it. I am not a fan of the beach. I love the fact that at my home, there are rocks and fresh water. It doesn’t get too hot. I don’t have to worry about burning my feet on the sand. I can wake up and go down and just sit on the dock in peace before anyone wakes up and before any boaters get the notion to disrupt the glassy surface of the water. It’s the perfect place to think and relax. Not to mention breathe in fresh air that just seems to sweep off the water into your nostrils. It’s glorious.
Needless to say, I am greatly looking forward to my weekends this summer. Even though I know I will be spending many of them at home due to weddings I will be photographing and such. I plan on spending as much time as I can at Deep Creek, and everything else will fall into place.
