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Memories of my friend
Six trips over the years to NH to regain the peace and solace that is constantly lost here at home in NJ, multiple trips to my friend, The Old Man of the Mountain, have helped mend and heal me spiritually. I don't even know the exact time that He (God) pointed me toward His calling card, but I remember it being a very rainy, overcast day that gift shop clerks advised was not a good day to view the Old Man. While passing it on the upper highway, I silently looked at the clouds and prayed for one, just one puff of God's breath to clear the image. To my total amazement, as if "from my mouth to God's ears," a puff of wind gently cleared the total top of the mountain, revealing the majestic profile, and just as quickly, it disappeared. The sequence of the pictures I quickly took - clouded, open, clouded - was proof of God's answer to my quiet pleading prayer. Forever that moment is in my heart.
I recently struggled with visiting my old friend not knowing if I wanted to see the missing space of that granite face or not. I decided, like an old friend going home to God, I needed to view my old friend. I didn't arrive until it was just past dusk. The park was totally empty and the walk to the lake was almost as quiet as a death walk in a funeral. I so easily remembered where you could start to see the profile of my friend and started looking up. Walking and looking and not seeing, I decided to wait until I got to the viewing area to see my friend. How appropriate to use the words "viewing area." In the darkness I could make out the blank area now at the mountain top, matching the empty area I thought I would have in my heart not seeing him. I read your sign by the light of my flash on the camera, reread the "dentist..." sign and cried. It was then that I realized that like friends that pass on, the memory of them is forever in your heart. And so is he.
I will watch your site on the Web to see what you have chosen to do in memorial to the Old Man slipping away. Until something is decided, I am not sure I can visit the site again, especially in daylight. I feel God wanted me to visit at the cusp of total darkness, as it eased the sight for me. I might add that I am losing my sight, so I feel totally blessed to have seen my friend, The Old Man, so many times. When I enter into my total darkness, I know that profile will be something I will be looking at again and again and again in my heart and mind.
Thank you for sharing your friend with me.
Kathi Patrick Bugger
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The "Old Man" was a staple of our childhood vacations. We took family vacations every summer to the White Mountains, in Lincoln, as we were growing up. We had a tradition that once we got there, about 5 1/2 hours from New Jersey, we just had to go past the Old Man to say hello even before we got to our resort to check-in. This "WAS" tradition.
Now we bring our children here. We were heartbroken to see the fall of this true New England landmark. As New Jerseyans, we are deeply saddened as we feel the White Mountains is our second home. Driving through the "notch" to Cannon Mountain will never be the same as we would always look to our left to view him.
We see him every day as we proudly display pictures in our homes. A true landmark and he will always be in our hearts!
Elaine Wellbrock, New Jersey
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My whole family had grown up in Salisbury, NH, 10 of us kids. Camping and hiking in the White Mountains was how our family vacationed. A trip through the notch was always highlighted by seeing the old man. One of my older brothers was so moved when the old man fell, that he went right out and got a big tattoo of the old man in his memory. I think it is quite a memorial. We all miss him and are sad that our great-grandchildren will never see him as we did, he is forever in our memories (and, "on Robbie's back shoulder").
Tina (Bartz) Farmer
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