Shrine to Eatons’
Ranch
My shrine is a memorial to Eatons’
Ranch, a dude ranch located in Wolf, Wyoming about two hours outside of
Billings, Montana. Although Eatons’ is still around, it is “lost” from my life
because I have not had the opportunity to go back and visit in the past two
years. I worked at Eatons’ Ranch for two summers as a kids’ camp counselor and
maid, respectively.
For me, Eatons’ Ranch represents a
phase of multi-faceted transition in my life. Moving from Birmingham to Wolf
was the first time I left home and was totally on my own. I learned to be
independent, to make my own money and budget for expenses, to make decisions
for myself, and to learn the consequences of making poor decisions. Eatons’
Ranch represents my exposure to the world beyond the sheltered suburb I grew up
in. I met people from all different geographical, financial, racial, and
religious backgrounds, and was exposed to new world views. My perception of the
world changed as I met new and different people and developed my own opinions
of things. Because I did not know anyone working at Eatons’ previously to
moving there, I had the opportunity to totally start over and to decide who I
wanted to be outside of the context of my hometown. Finally, Eatons’ helped me
grow as a musician; I learned to be more confident in myself and to not be
afraid of sharing my music with other people.
I wanted to encompass all of these
ideas into my shrine as a way to remember my time at Eatons’. My shrine is composed
of a coat-hanger with a hanging picture collage attached by ropes and a series
of knots. The collage is a combination of images of people, nature scenes, song
titles, and places around the ranch that were significant to my development as
a person. The pictures are hanging to mimic the form of a wind chime or an
outdoor mobile. As such, the pictures twist and turn and catch the wind,
representing the influence of nature and the elements at the ranch. I used rope
in my design to represent the ropes tying up the horses; however, it also
connects each of the pictures and song titles, representing the people who
supported me during my time spent in Wolf. The rope is symbolic of the ties we
had with each other, of the friendships that we made.
The most important aspect of the
shrine are the pictures. Sadly, I did not have enough room to place the image
of each of the people I worked with, but the picture of the entire staff
dressed in our red softball uniforms includes everyone who worked my second
summer. Before working at Eatons’, I had spent most of my life in a very
sheltered environment where most of my peers were from similar economic,
financial, and religious backgrounds as myself. Each and every person I came in
contact with taught me something about myself, about life, and about living and
serving other people. After leaving the ranch, I felt liberated. I became more
comfortable with who I am. In creating a shrine, I reconnected with those changes
and had the opportunity to memorialize my time at the ranch.
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