Scarecrow, Icon or Harbinger ?

[ FOR BETTER RESOLUTION, CLICK ON IMAGE ]


The concept of elevating an exalted icon goes back as far as the origin of church steeples. The church spire rises to the heavens as a gesture to the Almighty. This icon lords over an area just a few miles west of Felderville Community, SC. It has a purpose which we are unable to define at the moment.

The most likely explanation is that it once promoted an automobile repair shop in the distant past. It is decidedly the BEFORE image if that's the case. As the car seasoned it may have come to represent a junkyard or auto parts recycling center as they prefer to be called. Whatever its original purpose, it appears to be freewheeling these days. There's nothing at the foot of this monument to reap the rewards of its attraction. It is for all intents and purposes abandoned and adrift aloft.

This reminds us of the many odd items seemingly abandoned along the country roads which we travel. They take on a certain presence which will not suffer themselves to be moved. No one carts these things off. This custom is not limited to commercial turf. We cannot count the trucks, tractors and automobiles which lay fallow in yards and fields. Every cent of value has rusted out of the vehicles which are fully beyond restoration. Why are they kept?

The subject automobile appears to be an early 50's Chevrolet. One day it's going to tumble back down to Earth, an event which seems unlikely to be provoked by mortals. A little more oxidation and good gust of wind should do the trick. Maybe even rusty hulks find their way into the sentiment of human hearts.

We can only wonder whether this thing is used to ward off unwelcome visitors. Could it have become an icon of spiritual proportion for the community ? Perhaps it's a harbinger of the fate of the fossil fueled automobiles secretly maintained by the Sierra Club. We don't know. We're the first to admit that it's a wretched looking piece of junk, horrid and without the first redeeming feature. Still, we always look for it to appear as we reach this point in the road. We'd miss it but, we can't say why. We, too, appear to have fallen under its spell.