Old Horns

When the time comes that I need to start my observations for the day, in order for me to see all aspects of the field behind my home I need to trespass. Well, during my last observation I took it a little farther than usual. I decided to explore the entire field up close, rather than just sit in a corner and watch. While satisfying my curiosity I found what looks like an extremely old goat horn. The horn appeared to have been aging in that field for so long that it had witnessed the beginning of its own decomposition. It had faded from its original dingy white color to a worn, rusted shade of dark brown. What used to be a smooth and glistening pearl that aided a goat in defending his life and pride is now a goat's rough, dull, rigid and flaky remains that aid me in collecting unwanted splinters, but it is still not any less beautiful. Although it symbolizes the death of an animal, that horn represents the long, and eventful life of one as well. That horn in itself is a record of every meal, conflict, and form of recreation that goat ever experienced. That horn is the goat's legacy. In times of death it is the deceased's legacy that influences us to think about them when they were living and healthy. Every detail embedded deeply in the horn is its own paragraph in a story that explains the goats life. Watching the horn influenced me to think about that goats story. Which I feel helped me gain a better understanding of what this animal had faced in life, and with that came a newly discovered appreciation for this goat. I only wish that I hadn't needed to find his remains for me to appreciate him more. After a relentless cycle of thoughts I realized that there are many things in life, much like the goat, that we take for granted and don't see the value in until it is too late. Personally, I know there are many parts of my life that were cast aside in a field as old horns, holding a story, waiting to be seen as something worth appreciating.

Picture taken by me, Aizik Espinosa on November 5th, 2014