One Path Ends and Another Begins— At West End Gallery
Most of us are about as eager to be changed as we were to be born and go through our changes in a similar state of shock.
–James Baldwin, The Price of the Ticket (1985)
Change is inevitable. Nature, from the expanse of the universe to the smallest microbes, is a constant series of adjustments and adaptations.
Nothing remains static or unchanged.
The courses of mighty rivers are constantly shifting. The largest boulders succumb eventually to weather.
Being creatures of born of nature and inhabitants on this spinning ball called Earth, it holds equally true for us humans. The paths we individually follow in our lives seldom run straight or forever.
Things happen. Circumstances change, sometimes drastically. Sometimes these changes come as a conscious decision. That’s pretty rare. We tend to find a level of comfort on the path we are following and seldom opt to jump to a new and unknown one.
No, change often come without us requesting or desiring it. This change arrives totally by surprise and sometimes in a most shocking manner. It shoves us off our normal path and when we regain our footing, we discover that the path we found so comfortable and homey is no more.
But there is a different path ahead. It’s not the same and we might even resist having to get on it at first. But from where we are, it is the path we must follow and somehow make our own. Change our strides to match the contours of the path and attempt to adapt to the different landscape that we now pass through.
Most of you have experienced such one path ending and another beginning. If not, you will at some point.
It is the rule of life, after all.
One path ends and another begins.
The thing to remember is that though these changes often knock us off our boots and make us feel frail and susceptible, the challenges we face on this new path we are forced to follow often reveals new strengths and aspects of ourselves we didn’t realize we possessed.
It might be a hard path, but it might well get you to where you need to be if you can embrace what it has to offer.
One path ends and another begins.
The new painting at the top is titled, unsurprisingly, One Path Ends and Another Begins. It is 10″ by 15″ on canvas and is part of Guiding Light, the solo exhibit of my new work at the West End Gallery on beautiful Market Street in Corning, NY.
Show opens this coming Friday, October 17, 2025. There is an Opening Reception from 5-7:30 PM. The show is now hanging in the gallery and is available for previews and prebuys.
There is also a GALLERY TALK taking place on Saturday, November 1, beginning at 11 AM. Watch this space for further details.
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