Gehry's fish

The image that has been a recurrance in my life, in the way that the fish was for Frank Gehry, is the river. The area where I live is called unincorporated Jefferson county. It sucks when people ask where I'm from because I can never just say the name. I don't even live in a town. Basically, I live out in the woods, and if there's one thing about me which I'll never be able to escape, it's this: I am a river rat. I LOVE rivers. Rivers have always been in my life, and I can't imagine life without them. The river has been an force to enjoy, to respect, to fear, and to love. Many of my most memorable experiences in life revolve around the linear flow of water. I spent much of my chilhood at my grandma's house, which is right on the banks of a river, creatively named "the Big River." It's slow and muddy and would probably give the EPA a heart attack if they ever tested it. But whatever, my cousins and I all swam in it. I can remember spending countless hours watching the river go by. When the flood of '93 hit, I loved sitting and watching all the random junk floating by. Chairs, doors, a barbecue grill, a refridgerator, boats, once even a small house, were all things I watched the flood drag down the river. The devastation in the towns was shocking. When I was 5 I almost drowned in the Big River. Near our house is an old mill that no longer operates. The big water wheel is still there, and it's great to swim right above the dam. One day I was swimming there with my family and I stepped into a drop off and couldn't swim well enough to get back up. I distinctly remember looking around and seeing fish swim by as I desperately struggled for the surface. Then my mom saw my hand pop up and she grabbed it and saved me. Thanks, mama. But I never forgot how the river nearly took my life. Another important place in my life is Meramec State Park in Sullivan, Missouri. I go there every summer with my family and camp. The main attraction is the river. I have spent more time on this river than I have any other body of water. I know stretches of it by heart, where there are cool caves, and frigid springs, great cliffs to get your kicks jumping off, and not to brag but seriously, I know miles of it. It such a great place. In one trip down the river you can see huge gar swimming in the shallow currents, find random objects along the bottom, watch a blue heron snatching fish, swing off from rope swings, and there's a good chance you'll spot a few boobs along the way. And it's not just everything that comes with the river, the river itself is beautiful. My cousins and I spend hours sitting on the beach at night, just tossing rocks and talking about everything. The river is calm at night, except when you spot a lone deer bravely fording the river. It's such an ever changing force. It can playfully carry you along in an inner tube, or violently rise up and wipe out houses and cars. I've been on many rivers and although they are all basically alike, they are also very different. Each river has a unique personality, be it fast and swirling, or slow and flat, deep or shallow, narrow or wide, muddy or clear, warm or cold. There are so many aspects that make a river unique. And in this way I see that in people. We may all be basically alike, but everyone is unique. I've spent my life on these flowing channels, and I plan to spend the rest of it there.


The Big River in House Springs, MO.