Short Story: CORONA
Ephrem RichmondShare
This photograph holds its position as one of my favorite pieces of work for good reason. It perfectly captures the life that I was living, and the life that many of us are living currently. So, I would like to guide you through understanding the significance of every single detail, of every sharp, focused dot.
Shangri-La is situated at 11,154 ft in a unique part of China, rich in Tibetan culture and people. The prayer wheel - the subject of this art piece - is the focus of the town. It was around the time that I took this photograph in the small but touristic location that I realized how significant religion was.
The Tibetans believe that the flags they hang, the wheels they spin, and the beads they shuffle send up prayers to the gods. Their belief and their commitment to said belief are being declared through the simple presence of this prayer wheel. Its size is immense, it's painted a rich gold, which contrasts with the nature that surrounds it, its detail is exquisite, and it sits, as I said, in the center of town. If you visit Shangri-la, you will not miss this monumental structure.
I emphasize all of this simply because it is the focal point. Religion is the center of attention. This golden wheel is the center of attention. This man-made structure is the center of attention. This object, crafted by the hands of men, is the center of attention.
And people continue to rely on it as if it were a god itself. They rely on it to make money, to perform work for them, and, essentially, to help them reach eternity.
At what point will we question our beliefs about something that is unseen? When will we say? “Is it wise to depend on this thing that we made to get us to a place, or position, that we cannot even see ourselves?”
Masses of people believe that they can carry themselves over the invisible border to a better place, and the belief spreads from person to person as they are told it’s a good thing, a golden thing.
This is the hard truth that so many of us face, and something that nearly every tourist who enters Shangri-la challenges in a heartbeat as they turn that wheel: Do I believe this wheel really does anything? I have my belief, and this photograph serves as a reminder that there are idols in this world that tell people they can do the impossible, that they can view the invisible, that they can control dimensions.
Thank you for reading.
