A Day of Tripled Importance

Posted on November 2, 2013 by stephanieurdang

Not only is it a glorious day of fall

As well as Day of the Dead celebrating those who left before us.

It’s the titan in my life’s birthday: Ron Canal.

Over years of shoes on Ron’s feet,

In locales all over the world,

I have photographed them in action, in pose, in passing,

Always in the back of my mind his burial instructions.

When the crushing day comes, for Ron is loved fiercely by many, including me, he says he wants an open casket. But not open at the head: it’s to be open at the feet where he intends to sport a pair of clown shoes.

I can only hope I don’t live to see this, that I might humbly go before him, hopefully with language as my legacy. Language and laughs, which is much of what has kept Ron and I bound for all these many years. Ron, may your feet and the rest of you be healthy for many years to come, your life be spent feeling loved, and may your birthday be all you imagined. Even better than your planned last laugh from the other side.

The Tattooed Cerebellum

Posted on April 5, 2013 by stephanieurdang

Last Spring, Ron Canal

Ron is one of my closest friends, the center of a core group of friends that have been closely involved for a long time, through all kinds of fun and terrible events. We hadn’t spoken for a few weeks and I called him today.

“Remember me?” I said.

“How could I forget?” Ron asked.

“Not if I can help it.”

“Are you kidding? You’re tatooed on my cerebellum.”

“How do you know about the cerebellum,” I asked.

“I know some stuff.”

“I know it from doing energy work,” I said, “what’s your excuse?” FYI, the cerebellum is about motor skills mainly, and the fear and pleasure response: not memory.

“I learned some stuff in Texas,” he said, referring to his homestate. “People in Texas have cerebellums.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.” I said. To all my Texan friends, that I didn’t mean but thought it was funny.

Stay tuned for more from Ron Canal and his relationship to shoes. But only after I get the nerve to go through a history of photos that involve him.

Dear Readers and Followers:

Posted on April 1, 2013 by stephanieurdang

Photo by Kathy Rabbers, Location: Rome

First of all, thank you very much for your presence on this blog. Without you, there would be no reason.

Some of you have reported that when you click to FOLLOW me, you don’t get emails announcing my posts. The best I can figure out is that there is a confirmation step and it might be going to your spam. So please look out for it and together we can end this internet reign of confusion and I can find my way out of this tunnel and stop being so wigged out!