Discovering & Losing Landmarks
February 17, 2008 by Heather Goldsmith
Filed under Home & Living
If you noticed I didn’t manage to make an entry for last night that was because hubby and I took a well deserved break. While we were away we headed down to Subiaco to look at the markets. Although I knew it was coming, the markets had finally closed down. This was a sad moment for me, as I’ve visited these markets since I arrived in Perth some over 20 years ago. I viewed the Subiaco Pavillion Markets as a cultural landmark. The Station Street markets were also changed. About half of the space is being developed and is currently sand. The two of us were heartened to find a small remnant of the markets still running, though.
I was also saddened to lose one of these landmarks that helps make Perth what it is. A landmark is exactly that; it marks the land so we can find our way easily. I wrote quite a lot about landmarks in my journal last night. I realised there are personal landmarks in my life, too. People and places mean a great deal to me. They help keep me going in the right direction. Rituals in journal writing are a kind of landmark, too.
So, what are your landmarks? Write about the physical and personal or spiritual landmarks in your life. Identify what they are, or who they are. Have you ever lost a landmark? What happens when you lose a landmark, through destruction or death? Do you feel a loss of direction or do you quickly realign yourself with something else? Perhaps this entry will help you discover what your landmarks are. This topic is one you can visit often, especially when old buildings and other landmarks are torn down in your area.
I hope you enjoy this journal writing prompt. Please share any thoughts on this entry in the comments section below.
Heather
Just recently, Jack’s restaurant in Cougar, Washington was destroyed in a fire. I was so sad… even though I hadn’t been to Jack’s for years and years, it was truly a Landmark. For many people it was a stopping-off point when going to Mount Saint Helens or other sites in that area. For me, when I was a kid, I would go to church with my Gramma and Papa and 2 other older couples who lived right next door, and then we’d all go to Jack’s afterward for lunch. I often had a hot turkey sandwich, you know, with gravy and all that… and I’ll never forget one of the items was called the Jack Burger. It had a fried egg on it. I think out of those 6 older people my Gramma and maybe one other lady are the only ones left. Life goes on, times change, people grow older, they pass on, and sometimes tragedies occur, like a fire caused by an improperly-installed stovepipe. Thankfully, memories remain.
Hi Annette,
That’s exactly the kind of thing I mean. You recognise the loss of that landmark for yourself and your town. Glad you still have the memories, though. Thanks for sharing.