One specific event that twisted my life around at an early age was the disappearance of my dad. He fell into a river with a whirlpool, and his body never surfaced. This happened in 1996, when I was 16 years old. Here is a collection of artworks created in response to this event, visualizing “Life After Life” for Steemit Vision Quest - Week 8.
The Story
Elementary art teacher, Terry Lindsay, fell into the “Wiggin's Fork” of the Wind River northeast of Dubois, Wyoming, while fishing. The date was August 6, 1996, and the 43-year-old father of two was presumed drowned after the extensive search efforts of emergency personnel were unable to find his body. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Terry Lindsay was the apparent victim of a drowning. The details of this story are expressed here: https://www.wildfamily.tv/terry-lindsay.
The Life
Scene from the film, “Wild Family,” featuring the true story of one man's disappearance in a Wyoming river whirlpool.
I shared the story of my dad's mysterious passing in a documentary feature film, called Wild Family. This film explored parenthood and childhood through outdoor adventures and in-depth interviews with 40 families. The scene above is one of the pieces of my family's personal story, appearing in the film as a way of celebrating the gift that is life, and respecting the fragility of it.
The Life After Life
My brother and I returned to the same river, 20 years after my dad's passing, and I documented the Journey.
During our time together, my brother played a rhythmic chord progression on his guitar, and I sang along, with the words to “Enters The Sun.” We recorded the music you hear here in just one take. It felt like divine intervention to me, so it became the soundtrack to this short film.
The Vision
I envision life after life
I can see myself in the arena of lights
Yes I can see myself shine
Reflecting God’s Light
I will remember my ancestry
Remembering the souls who are home before me
Aho mitakuye oyasin
I honor all of my relations
I will cherish the plants and animals
Fruit flower tree herb vegetable
Yes I will cherish the living
Hummingbird jaguar buffalo
I will bathe in the Seventh Ray
Through the Violet Flame of São José
I Am
Entering a new dimension
I will go with God all the way
Let go and go to God when my soul comes home
Yes I will go in joy
Bless my soul I will go with God
I am comforted by the anticipation
Of a warm welcome when my soul comes home
Yes I am filled with warmth
Considering infinite peace
I am home right here right now
Already home here and now all right
Yes in this present moment
I am happy to be home
The Process
The poem you see above originated at a Sun Dance ceremony. Sun Dance is a sacred ceremony practiced by the Lakota (Sioux), along with other indigenous people of the Great Plains. For the past three years, I've attended a Sun Dance held at Thunder Ranch, here in Texas, supporting my uncle, who is a Sun Dancer. To me, it's an opportunity to immerse myself in the Spirit realm, and re-connect with my dad.
I received the words to this poem and song through a melody, followed by a certain stream of lyrics, inspired by my interpretation of the afterlife, and the idea of returning "Home." If you can imagine the scene, I stood under a wild white sky, feeling strangely lifted, almost dizzy, penciling the words onto a notepad. Surrounding me was a circular arena surrounded with buffalo skulls, with a space for a sky-high cottonwood tree to stand in the center.
This was "Tree Day," and we were on our way to bring a living tree from the forest to be planted here, as a symbol of sacrifice, falling and then rising again, representing new life. Sun Dancers were later fastened to this tree, held by the skin of their chests, falling and then rising, as if dying and being born as a new person. To me, Tree Day brings my mind to the thought of Jesus. Everywhere I look, I see Jesus. In the people. In the tree... This poem arrived into my life on Tree Day.
The Quest
This is my entry to Steemit Vision Quest - Week 8: Life After Life. Thanks to the SVQ team, who is a steady force of encouragement for all of us willing to bring our collective Visions together for the higher good of all: @eaglespirit, @rensoul17, and @girlbeforemirror. Thanks to all the Vision Questers, and thanks to all of the supporters. Thanks to the creators of Steemit, and thanks to those who continue to make this platform great. I appreciate you. I honor all my relations. Aho. God bless you.
The song, "My Golden Rule," provides the soundtrack in the Wild Family scene you see above. This song is written and performed by Melissa Gail Klein. Last year, I teamed up with animator Sally Sherwood to create a music video for the song, which was released just a few weeks ago. You can be among the first to see it!
