WHERE DID THE TIME GO
“Time flies when you’re having fun”
I’ve heard it countless times throughout my life without really paying any mind to it. Now I sat at Mitchell International Airport staring at my phone, and I felt actual panic as it sank in. How the fuck is it Monday already? I was just here.
No like, I was just here. I don’t get it. Friday feels like 10 minutes ago.
The passing of time felt so fleeting that it actually made me uncomfortable. I was present the entire trip. I allowed myself to embrace and enjoy every minute. I took hundreds of photos. So how is it possible to feel like time still got away from me? Usually that feeling is associated with not doing. With inaction. With time being wasted, not spent.
A new, uneasy revelation slowly wraps around my brain. You can do everything right, make every second count, and still feel like it wasn’t enough. Even worse? Enjoying the time makes it feel more fleeting. The revelation squeezes like a python. Worst of all? Literally everyone seems to have already known this. The phrase is woven into everyday life, humans all agreeing and accepting that time is linear, except of course, when it’s not. The squeezing becomes unbearable…
All right, all right. I’m booking an extra day next time.
THE MITCHELL DOMES
First stop was the Mitchell Park Domes, Milwaukee’s indoor botanical gardens. Serene and peaceful, no one’s in a hurry, just good vibes all around. And a great chance to practice some manual focus macro.
The future of the gardens has been up for debate for some time now, and a plan to fund a new vision of the park has been proposed as recently as this past month. While I really enjoyed my time there, I can say that not much has changed in the decade between visits. It would be nice to see that proposal go through and see the place get some upgrades, all things considered.
I took this exact same shot almost ten years ago.
“Where does the time go? I don’t know, its moving underneath me.””
A few shots of Milwaukee’s skyscrapers, new and old, taken through a sunroof of a moving car. We were originally planning to head to the lighthouse on this particular afternoon, but stumbled upon a kite festival at Veteran’s Park.
“Let my brother drive while I shoot, team effort”
WHITNALL PARK
Whitnall is home of the Boerner Botanical Gardens, which are always lovely but this trip was unique. We were visiting the day before launch of China Lights, the renowned light show displayed in the gardens annually. While I’ve heard it’s spectacular at night all lit up, I still really enjoyed myself during the day trip. It was hard not to feel like a kid amongst the oversized plants and animals.
MILLER PARK
I only had two goals for the trip: to grab a Jackson Chourio rookie bobblehead and eat my one hot dog [brat technically] a year at the majestic Miller Park. Check and check.
We tend to move around at ball games (understatement) in this case we stopped by the Uecker seats for a photo with Bob’s statue, then found a nice spot in the sun for a few innings. We left at the stretch in order to make it to the lighthouse on time, which was fine because the Brew Crew stunk that day.
“Juuuuuust a bit outside.”
View from the Uecker seats, shot on my phone. No cameras allowed in the park.
NORTH POINT LIGHTHOUSE
We raced to the North Point lighthouse after leaving Miller Park and made it to the top for a view of the city before the building closed. It was a first for both of us, and definitely worth the hike. We decided based on the diagram inside the lighthouse that were about 75 feet up at the top, which took a spiral staircase and ultimately a ladder to get to.
Miller Park to the top of the lighthouse in 25 minutes has got to be a record.
The North Point Lighthouse sits on the bay of Lake Michigan on a perfect September afternoon.
DOWNTOWN
That night we went out without a plan, headed for downtown to "see what we could find" as Jeff put it.
The guy’s sole goal when I’m in town is to "put me on Buckets." He has long pitched me a reality show following the two of us as we search for new photos in Mil and surrounding areas. (I’ve been sold for years we need to pitch it to someone that matters.)
famous for...
I told him I remembered coming into town one night and seeing an overpass with a view of the city, but it wasn’t my normal route so I couldn’t be sure where it was. It was from the Monta Ellis/OJ Mayo/Name Your Price era so I wasn’t even really shooting photos yet. But I knew when I saw it, even ten plus years ago, that it would make for a great view. Plus imagine how much the skyline has changed.
So we set out to find it, a shot a decade in the making.
It didn’t take long. He pretty much knew what I was talking about right away.
my new favorite view of the Mil, from a ped bridge on the NW side
Shortly after, we’re strolling the new Brewery district, an updated, upscale (gentrified?) area that the cities’ oldest breweries used to call home, not far from where we were just shooting.
Jeff, without looking up, asks “Wait do you believe in God?”
“Yep I round-tripped it.” I replied in stride, not missing a beat.
He said it with the same cadence he would if he was asking if I remembered to lock the door when we left, and I replied as such. We’ve probably discussed this a hundred times, so it was more of a check-in; like asking if I still watch PTI or something. And since I’ve known this guy since before we could talk, he understood my answer with no explanation or follow-up. We just kept it moving, further emphasizing that this was just a check-up, like a doctor making sure I was getting enough iron in my diet.
But what does "yes, I round tripped it" mean? Well I went from baptized childhood innocence (of course that’s how we got here, say your prayers and don’t ask questions) to cynical, troubled young adult with all the answers (everyone is an idiot). The thing about that cynicism is not realizing that the trip isn’t over yet. Since then the universe has seemingly softened my hard headedness. It has peeled back it’s layers, again and again, ultimately leaving me no choice but to believe. Simply for the fact that I’ve seen it.
Karma has cut me in ways so precise that it should’ve required a scalpel. I’ve had bouts with synchronicity that would have gotten laughed out of a writer’s room. I’ve had deja vu with so much frequency and clarity that I started trying to guess (remember?) what happens next.
So in my eyes, if you make it to 60, 70 years old with that same cynicism? Congratulations, you weren’t paying attention.
We were about to wrap the night up when Jeff hit a left down an alley. "Let’s see what’s down here.” I followed behind.
Yo what the fuck?
It’s the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. Hidden in a parking lot between a factory and a hotel on a dead-end, tucked away from sight. Isn’t there only one of those in America? (Editors note: there’s 6, but still) Are you serious right now!?
I can't believe we found a god damn Weinermobile lmao. I only eat one hot dog a year, and it's at a Brewers game, which I did earlier that day. God shot or?
So, with time seemingly flying by in the blink of an eye, all the good luck and coincidences from the weekend, including but not limited to finding the goofball Batmobile in an empty parking lot, who am I to say that I don’t believe in anything?
God, simulation, re-incarnation. Yes, yes, yes. Ghosts? Hope not, but yes. Aliens? They’ve pretty much confirmed it. Yes. Alternate universes? I hope I made some better decisions in the other ones. Wanna sell me a theory that time is speeding up? I’ll have a look at the brochure. Especially while I have a few minutes at my airport gate, where I seemingly just arrived a blink of an eye ago.
But when I get back on that plane home, I have the photos, the memories, the experiences of a weekend lived to the fullest.
I round-tripped it, God bless.
gotta give Jeffrey his flowers, another great trip