Inspired Once

My friend Jake wrote on his blog
a post Once.
He also mentioned in an email
that when he travels,
he usually takes pictures of
bars,
beer glasses,
streets,
and doors.
I thought about similar attractions
I have when traveling,
like when I lived in Peru . . .

 and laid in my hostel room in the Sacred Valley
and took a picture of the ceiling light, or

 when I walked around my Arequipa neighborhood
and found a pile of rubble, or

when Dawn and I met in Pisco this stranger named Rodolfo
who had just finished rebuilding his house
after an earthquake hit the town.
Rodolfo chatted with us for over an hour
and showed us pictures of his daughters
and gave me pictures of buildings destroyed
right after the earthquake, or



when Dawn, Alan, Patricia, and I
found a small playground with a mini merry-go-round
and a see saw

and swings.
And I remember our stumblings
upon this playground were shortly after
I decided I was going to leave Peru
and apply to graduate school.