Recently I was able to visit San Francisco. I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. I stood on the beach and contemplated eternity. I saw the moon rise over the bay. But the site that spoke to me most was Alcatraz. Those of you that know me might not be surprised that a crumbling prison was my favorite part of the trip – Napa was a close second!
We took a boat ride around the bay, so I didn’t actually explore the prison, but I got to see it from all sides of the water. It was moving if not profound – perhaps profound is too powerful of a word. I thought of the prison guards who lived on the island with their families. I thought of the prisoners subjected daily to a view we now pay thousands of dollars and fly across the country to see. I thought of them isolated on this island and how complicated that must have made their interactions. How much more stressful the job of guarding prisoners might be if you knew your family slept a few hundred feet away. How tantalizing and taunting it might be to look out and see the Pacific Ocean knowing you are confined to a 10′ by 10′ cell for the rest of your life.
I thought of the group of Native Americans who took over the island not too long before I was born with hopes and aspirations of carving out a piece of this nation just for themselves. I imagine that they must have experienced a strong feeling that they don’t belong to willingly isolate themselves and stake such a desperate claim on that lonely Rock.
So many strong emotions and feelings must be tied to this iconic piece of land. I think I experienced them all. Take a look at the photographs and maybe you will, too.
-Robin
Alcatraz Island – San Francisco, CA
(Check the Photo Gallery for some great images of the trip, and remember you can contact me directly if you’d like to purchase a print).