Clayton Sisson

 

A Wrinkle in Space

For the latter half of my high school years, I went to a school which was both academic and therapeutic. I was both working on bringing up my GPA while confronting and dealing with my insecurities and depression. The school is located in a small town in Massachusetts, and had an expansive field and forest attached to the property, which I used to take solace in. I was never much of camper, and preferred urban to rural environments, but I really came to appreciate the how calming the silence was, especially in the late afternoons and early evenings.

It was on one of those nights when I needed to take some time to myself that I went into the field to clear my head. I was so blown away by the color of the sky that I was compelled to take photos. I tried to take a panoramic shot, which through misstep and shaky hand led to the picture shown. However, despite the fact that it wasn’t what I had initially wanted, it somehow captured the emotions of that moment more than I could have expected. It captured my awe at something that I didn’t understand, beyond the empirical fact of what I was looking at, and more at the awe and happiness I felt inside. It was the feeling of being so small in such a massive universe, and the desire to spend the rest of my life exploring and searching that arose from it.

Every time I look at this photo I am reminded of all the feelings I had  in the days and weeks leading up to that moment, and all the feelings I felt in the moment. I will never forget the warmth of the vast emptiness, and how it had pushed me in small ways to become a stronger person.