Pics from the archives...

What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions.

Life is plurality, death is uniformity.

By suppressing differences and pecularities, by eliminating different civilizations and cultures, progress weakens life and favors death.

The ideal of a single civilization for everyone, implicit in the cult of progress and technique, impoverishes and mutilates us.

Every view of the world that becomes extinct, every culture that disappears, diminishes a possibility of life

~ Octavio Paz
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The best thing among all of my experiences as a young adult was travelling. And Uncle Sam took care of the travelling. I was able while in the military to visit foreign lands like Thailand (1st pic), Texas and Idaho...

Exposure to different cultures is broadening to personal horizons. Or at least is an opportunity to broaden one's horizons... I've met those who had no desire to recognize cultural ways and mores different than their own.

Thailand gave me an opportunity that I embraced. I loved my time there, I was impressed by the differences between their laid-back steadiness and environmental common sense and the driven shallow chaos of American consumer society.

Pic #2 is a publicity shot from the early '80s taken for the Central Valley Stuntmen's Association.

Pic #3 was from the 1985 Wassama Roundhouse rededication, just north of Oakhurst (CA). The pics (4 - 9) following are an Aztec dance group that performed the opening ceremonial. I remember that it was a beautiful day. The elder, I was told, was the group's teacher and this would be his last trip north from Mexico. I do remember the woman's name... Maquil Xilchotl. Also present at this at this event were Chumash dancers from the Santa Ynez Reservation, including Uncle Tony Romero. I arrived early enough to get the Roundhouse and grinding stones photographed without any visitors to clutter the landscape. I was able to visit with the dancers as they prepared their plumed gear and I have a whole series from this day's events.

All of this series of pics are scanned from prints. I suspect I will be spending years pouring thru my old negatives and slides and having them high-res scanned onto disc. When I get these scanned from the orginal film I will (well... maybe...) replace them. Still, the quality is good enough temporarily.