The field trip had ended, and I was left alone with sculptures and paintings of dead people. The field trip was to the de Young Museum, where our class and I experienced the Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence exhibit. I stayed behind to appreciate the art without having to fill out a worksheet. Being smack dab in the middle of Golden Gate Park meant my bus home was quite a walk away, so I decided to meander around.
The exhibit was really wonderful. The sound of silence with nothing but creaking floorboards filled the exhibit hall. The low light and dark-colored walls really made you pay attention to the art more. I passed a giant horse sculpture which depicted a modern man on a horse but was sculpted like he was an old war hero who died in battle. I saw paintings of people surrounded by fields of dead flowers, and mini sculptures of people. The art was incredible and appealed to your emotions.
I ended up in a nudged-away room whose entire purpose was to leave notes for any reason. A single desk with flashcards and a tin of pencils, surrounded by vines and flashcards with messages pinned onto cork, filled the room. I saw cards that were silly, note cards of love messages in Korean, and positive affirmations. It was really nice to see humanity displayed on flashcards and spread all over a room. I decided I spent enough time in the museum and walked to my bus stop slowly to see more interesting things.
I walked and found a pocket in a dark, shady part of the park. I walked on the bridge that was not more than three feet off the ground, and it was a tiny sculpture display. The more interesting one was one of a penguin. It had no deeper meaning, just a copper and tin penguin that dated to 100 years ago. I kept walking, eyeing colorful flowers and tall trees, listening to my favorite music, and feeling the cold wind and hot sun. I also saw a bunch of random yellow lawn chairs.
I spotted a piano, painted blue with yellow legs, and a picture of a couple kissing on the top of it. It was an art piece, a public piano with a name signed on it by Nicole Hayden. I turned to the front of the piano and saw how beat up it was. Some of the keys had been reduced to pieces of wood, other keys were stuck in the down position. However, the bench to the side looked untouched, so I assumed it’d just been there for a while. I sat down to see if the piano still had life in it. I played a chord with all ten of my fingers and felt the mixed texture of chipped wood, painted keys, and ones that felt brand new, all soundtracked to the sound of the piano. The piano sounded older than time itself but still, somehow, full of life.
I continued walking and glanced at the park I used to play at when I was a kid, remembering the time I slid down the big hill and nearly face-planted. I walked to the bus stop. The narrow street next to the highway on my left contrasted with the edge of Golden Gate Park to my right. I kept walking and thinking about all the things I saw. I usually never take the time to just go on a walk. Appreciating everything you see, even the simplest of things, can make your entire soul feel really calm. Take time out of your day to appreciate the world around you.
My bus came, I got on, I went home.