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Writer's picturebjartworks

#dailygratitude - a life worth living

5/21/19

She stood once here.

A welcomed sight

The weary travelers.

With sky so bright.

Her antique clothes.

Checkered suit.

A hidden treasure.

Orange, white, and red.

Demolished.

Soon forgotten.

Until now.

Title: “The Evergreen Hotel”

Oil on canvas

16”x20”

©Bjlane

Www.bjlane.com

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The backstory:

It’s hard to believe I lived almost half my life in Duarte California. Duarte is a bedroom community—houses and schools, a small county library, and a cute town center consisting of the city hall. A community center, school district offices, a fitness center, and a public swimming pool.

Amidst all the 1980’s housing tracts in Duarte only a few historical structures still remain. Although I was able to capture a few of these special buildings “en plein air” this particular building, (on Route 66), was captured with my camera as the City began demolition. When I saw the roof tile being taken off, I realized it’s doom. The landscaping was overgrown, and the building itself appeared a bit run down ... yet I could tell it had been a special place in its time. Couldn’t it have been saved? Sadly, I took reference photos from across the street. How easy it is to forget our history. In memory of life once lived, I still can imagine how this hotel once must have been a welcomed sight for the weary traveler.

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Marcus Garvey

(1887- 1940)

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