wishing for angels

this is Ana Crisan. known as Spirited_Away, at flickr, which is how i "met" her. she is one of the first people to communicate with me when i joined flickr. she was one of the first kind people to share with me her experiences when i was bleeding my own onto my photo pages. she gave her words to help me persist.

she is dear to me for that kindness...

...and because she knows the kinds of truths about humanity that few ever see, let alone seek. she is dear because she lives on through experiences i would not survive. she is dear because she shows us, those who look at her photos, what the world is when you stop, remove your blinders and see it unfiltered.

beauty, humanity, survival, fear, death, disease, loss, the little things, the lost people, the size of the world from the position of being pushed down into the cracks... and even then... the beauty that is there, in those cracks, between the stones, the broken cement, in the mud, in the dirt, under the refuse, at the water's edge... in death and vibrant life.

my empathy drives me to help... when i had my original account at flickr, i left her this testimonial:

"a human soul i wish i could shelter, she demonstrates an eye for the lonely and abandoned, the sadness of humanity and the physical beauty she has at her command, in contrast to the darkness within. an inspiration and a reminder that some things are too precious for the suffering given to them."

that was the best i was able to offer. if you can do nothing more, visit her photostream and blogsite. be witness to her living documentary of humanity in its highs and its lows. be witness to her existence and see through her camera's eye.

if you can do more, please, do (offer gallery space, purchase photos, etc).

please note that she is very protective of her personal space and privacy. do not force. do not judge. do not coerce. i post this looking to ensure her existence goes noticed for the work she does as a humanitarian, animal lover and photographer. to ensure she goes noticed as a person.

any harassment will be dealt swift and brutal blows by myself personally and by others who try to watch out for her. so be kind.

i know nothing about what she wants, and this is me wishing for her to be protected from harm. i can do nothing more than this. people can save each other, but it takes more than one or three people making wishes and i am fully aware that i cannot even save myself.

now go see.

(Photo by Spirited_Away)