The Good Samaritan

There are times when the kindness of a stranger makes all the difference… if only for a day.

1st place at Death Valley 49ers Art Show, 2012

Gale Trapp, 2010
Acrylic on hardboard

Born too late

This is the life I was born to lead… just a couple hundred years too late.

Does anyone else feel like they were born in the wrong era? Surely I’m not the only person out there wondering if I would have had the strength and determination to explore the West and live off the land… trading for those few niceties I couldn’t make myself.

It isn’t about the good ‘ole days

I’m inspired by history, but it’s not through a longing for the good ‘ole days. Things weren’t easier in the past – day to day living was HARD – but people didn’t rely on machinery and electronics, instead they relied upon themselves and often, friends and neighbors. There is something about that I respect and admire.

 My mother grew up – gasp – before automobiles, indoor plumbing and even washing machines. I once asked her if things were better now that she had all these great modern conveniences and her answer surprised me.

“No, these things make day to day life easier, but they don’t make me happier. For me, it’s the people, my family and friends, that matter, not the stuff. “

As I look back on my life, I know exactly what she meant.