hope
I believe that everything can tell a story.
Sometimes you can look at an object or place and get clues to fill in the information. For instance, this house. It’s quite obvious that something happened here. Part of the siding is missing, there is a broken window and the doors are either boarded up or barricaded. One of the columns supporting the porch is gone. The yard is mowed though, surely someone still cares about this place?
Other times you are given the information. Let’s be honest, I didn’t end up here without already knowing something about what happened. And it was definitely apparent that something happened. I passed big piles of debris with heavy equipment moving around. The sound of construction workers banging hammers echoed through the landscape. Both information and context of the surrounding environment can result in some powerful storytelling.
However nothing would prepare me for what comes next. As I was taking a photo of this house, I was approached by a lady walking down the street. “Are you lost?” she says. She didn’t see my camera but she noticed that I was traveling down a street that had been deserted. Long driveways that lead to nowhere, piles of debris on both sides and no vehicles around. I was in front of one of the few houses still standing on that block.
“No”, I said. I briefly told her who I was and explained that I was a photographer. I told her that I liked to tell stories. Her eyes started to tear up, and then she proceeded to tell me her account of December 10, 2021. The night that a wicked EF4 tornado ripped through the center of Mayfield, Kentucky.
She told me that she didn’t lose anyone but she knew others who have lost someone or lost their belongings. Even though the twister occurred almost a year and a half ago by this point, she was still helping people affected by the storm. Some who lost everything. Then she switched tones and started talking about growing up in Mayfield and living in this neighborhood. She said she needed someone to talk to and it was God’s work that we both ended up meeting each other this day.
“One final thing”, she said. “…Mayfield is here to stay”. She wanted me to emphasize with my photos that despite the destruction, the community is deeply rooted here and rebuilding. It may look rough now, but the people who live here still have hope. Ms. Donna then thanked me for listening and said it made her day getting to talk to me. It made my day getting to talk to her too.
Today’s post will mark the beginning of a small series that highlights Mayfield since the twister that passed through in 2021. While some photos will show the devastation from this tragic day, I hope that you are also able to see the hope that still shines through in this community.
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Mayfield, Kentucky
hope
I believe that everything can tell a story.
Sometimes you can look at an object or place and get clues to fill in the information. For instance, this house. It’s quite obvious that something happened here. Part of the siding is missing, there is a broken window and the doors are either boarded up or barricaded. One of the columns supporting the porch is gone. The yard is mowed though, surely someone still cares about this place?
Other times you are given the information. Let’s be honest, I didn’t end up here without already knowing something about what happened. And it was definitely apparent that something happened. I passed big piles of debris with heavy equipment moving around. The sound of construction workers banging hammers echoed through the landscape. Both information and context of the surrounding environment can result in some powerful storytelling.
However nothing would prepare me for what comes next. As I was taking a photo of this house, I was approached by a lady walking down the street. “Are you lost?” she says. She didn’t see my camera but she noticed that I was traveling down a street that had been deserted. Long driveways that lead to nowhere, piles of debris on both sides and no vehicles around. I was in front of one of the few houses still standing on that block.
“No”, I said. I briefly told her who I was and explained that I was a photographer. I told her that I liked to tell stories. Her eyes started to tear up, and then she proceeded to tell me her account of December 10, 2021. The night that a wicked EF4 tornado ripped through the center of Mayfield, Kentucky.
She told me that she didn’t lose anyone but she knew others who have lost someone or lost their belongings. Even though the twister occurred almost a year and a half ago by this point, she was still helping people affected by the storm. Some who lost everything. Then she switched tones and started talking about growing up in Mayfield and living in this neighborhood. She said she needed someone to talk to and it was God’s work that we both ended up meeting each other this day.
“One final thing”, she said. “…Mayfield is here to stay”. She wanted me to emphasize with my photos that despite the destruction, the community is deeply rooted here and rebuilding. It may look rough now, but the people who live here still have hope. Ms. Donna then thanked me for listening and said it made her day getting to talk to me. It made my day getting to talk to her too.
Today’s post will mark the beginning of a small series that highlights Mayfield since the twister that passed through in 2021. While some photos will show the devastation from this tragic day, I hope that you are also able to see the hope that still shines through in this community.
----
Mayfield, Kentucky