One sad morning, right after I regretfully broke up with a long-time love and had to end my work on a beloved project, I was up at sunrise taking my daily walk with my two dawgs, looking up as I normally do to capture snapshots of my fast-changing neighborhood. I stubbed my toe on what I thought was just an uneven sidewalk, and look down to find … my lost heart, seemingly riddled with bullet holes. I’d never seen this artwork before, questioning myself as to how I could’ve missed it and why it revealed itself to me on this day when I really needed to know if I still had a heart, if it could beat again since it had seemed to stop, and all of those thoughts you have after losing someone and/or something very special. There was nothing on the heart to indicate who left it there, and so it was a secret that I was not able to uncover until now.
In the Arts District, there is a triangle lot (near what is called Bloom Square), which used to be a gas station up until around 2000, then it was removed and converted into a place for parking. Recently, street artists have been leaving creative installations there … most recently, Wild Life and now someone whose work is being seen increasingly in the Arts District, Elmer the Wild (he has a real name, but asked me not to share!).
Artist Elmer the Wild encourages you to pick up a heart with his message on the back that states “This is a magic heart. It is meant for everyone. I left it here for you. Take it home if you want. Enjoy. Return it when you like; and another one will fly just as you and I. Forever. Linked.”
Take a heart while you can … perhaps a painted stone can weigh down the pain of losses like mine. Here’s hoping … 🙂