Pilgrimage Walk

My walk was inspired by some folks who asked for directions to a church that was supposedly a couple blocks from where I live. I realized that I had no idea where any churches were even ones that I walk by everyday somehow are just filtered out, i don't even notice them. So i decided to make a pilgrimage to a few churches in my neighborhood.

The rules were:
-Don't be a jerk
-wear sunday clothes
-sit and think a bit at each one
-don't interrupt a service

So i woke up late this sunday and waited until 11:30 so that service would be finished. I took a shower and wore a skirt (my version of sunday clothes)

First was Parish of St. Mark:




I went into the little garden area and sat, it was quite nice. Mass just let out and I was trapped there while everyone said hi to the priests. It was exclusively old people, and everyone knew eachother. It was very scary.

Secondly, I went to First Immanuel Lutheran Church:






This one was also scary, it was really small and this guy said "you're just visiting, huh? that's nice..." and looked at me funny and I left.


Thirdly, I went to the closest one to my apartment, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral:






This one is very beautiful inside and out and they gave me a whole welcome folder and were very friendly.

The last church I made it to was First Presbyterian Church:




This one is huge and elaborate. A guy said I wasn't allowed to go in and take pictures. I asked if I could just go in and not take pictures, just sit. He said no, that I had to go to the front desk. I went to the front desk and they said it was cool if I took pictures.


Now I know where a few churches are in my neighborhood.

here is a map of my walk, the plus signs are the churches:


-nicole

back yard walk

For my Walk, I chose my backyard as the subject matter. I walked my backyard in a grid like fashion, taking a photograph at every step. During the walk I spaced out a lot. I would not liken this to any kind of walking meditation trance state, just boredom. The light, however, was very nice. During my walk, I discovered cigarette butts from a party (Vogues from Taiwan....thanks Stephanie. Well, she was pretty wasted when she got to the party, so I can excuse the littering. At least they were all in one place.) I also learned that cats like to shit in the corners of the yard, there are blackberries coming up vis subterranean root system from the ally, and a weird white powder mold near the empty via raccoons chicken house. I had hoped by picking an utterly banal Walk, I might discover something interesting, but I didn't. My three forms of recording my walk entail a movie I have made with all of the 400 something photographs I took, a box of artifacts I retrieved, and this written statement.