Why Round About Route?


Why round about route and not roundabout route? Three separate words vs. two; shouldn’t be a big deal.

I thought about my life and what I’ve done. I’ve worked for the same company, the Postal Service, for 38 years; the last 19 as a Postmaster. I can plan out a delivery route but life is also a sequence of paths taken. My life took a different route when I got interested in writing and yet another when I rediscovered my passion for photography.

A roundabout is not direct or straightforward. It’s a question answered in a way that doesn’t say yes or no. But, one can play a round of golf, or round up cattle. Why not order a round of drinks or round up or down to the next number. A rumor goes round, a boxer makes it through a round, and an audience gives a round of applause. A roundabout is a traffic circle, it doesn’t go anywhere and you could get stuck in one. I want a meaning that lets me go anywhere.

The definition of “about” is a word that refers to different sides or aspects of something from some point of orientation. In photography, that’s everything. I try to capture images others miss or are unique. I look for a different angle on what has been done before. To get photos of a landscape, event or place then it’s necessary to get out and about.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a picture is a story. If it’s a story then most people would ask, “What’s it about?” This story isn't finished and will continue to evolve. I've come here via a less direct route, which is a combination of experiences.

Each of these words taken separately reinforces the other. Each word needs to stand by its self, and that’s why it’s Round About Route.