Monday, August 16, 2010

Greenlee County Historical Museum/Farm and Ranch Annex - August, 2. 2010

Interesting early AM. While I was cleaning the corral before work, an elderly man in an early model pick-up truck pulled up to my main gate. He rolled down his window and shouted out, “Do you have eggs for sale?” I nodded affirmatively. After inquiring about how many eggs did he want to buy, I went into the house and got them out of the refrigerator. He got out of the truck and waited by the gate - he on one side and my two barking dogs on the other side.

I happened to be wearing a T-shirt that read “Voodoo Spiritual Temple - New Orleans.” About 10 years ago, I filmed a documentary on Priestess Miriam Chamani - a well known voodoo priestess, celebrity confidant, advisor and herbal healer. It was the name of her temple that I had glaring across my chest.

As the man and I exchanged money for eggs, he noticed the writing on my t-shirt. He remarked that he was a Christian and have I ever been baptized? After I remarked that as a baby I was baptized in a Catholic church in Detroit, MI - it dawned on me that this customer may have been intent on saving my soul after reading my t-shirt. I thanked him for his business and immediately walked back into the house. He got in his truck and drove off.

At that point, I felt like a punk. I avoided a potential religious discussion with him. However, he had nothing to prove to me or I to him. It was then I convinced myself that it was time to fire up the coffee pot and shower because I had at least an hour’s drive ahead of me to see my patient in Clifton, AZ. Then I got ready for work and turned on the air-conditioning in my car full-blast. I drove away and didn’t give that man a second thought.



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On route to my patient’s home, I drove past a tiny county museum with a small annex that was surrounded by a few piece of rusting farming equipment from the late 1800's. Immediately, I stopped, parked my car and left the air-conditioning running. It was around 95 degrees and no one was in sight. I placed, photographed and documented #46 on one of the wheels of a piece of machinery that I didn’t have a clue about its function.



Within minutes I climbed back into the car and headed off to my patient’s home.

I drove by Sacred Heart Catholic Church and smiled. Thought about my customer from this morning. Before getting his eggs, I should’ve asked him, “ Now is that a dozen eggs with or without a spell from the spirits?” Hmmm?

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