Changes

Today I took a country drive near my hometown. Sunny days like these are meant for drives, especially when they are too cold and windy for hiking and too beautiful for staying indoors. Whenever the mood strikes, I usually head north for the Appalachian Mountains, but today I chose another path and I found myself in rural Jackson County, Georgia.

This is Sells Mill, a picturesque imprint of the past still standing along a small creek. The area around Sells Mill is designated a county park which is usually bustling with people grilling out, picnicking, and fishing in the mill pond, but today I was the only person there.

I have been here many times. I am repeatedly drawn to this mill because I love historic structures and the grounds around this mill are so nice. Huge slabs of granite, the rushing creek, and the wildflowers that grow around it in Spring are awesome.

But there was something different about Sells Mill today. It has been through some restoration. The front of the mill is now covered in fresh, yellowish painted wood. The rusted pipes of the old mill run are now replaced with concrete. At first all I could do was stare at it. I wasn’t so sure if I liked the mill’s makeover.

The rotting, old planks of weathered wood and the rusty pipes and wheel were the very reasons I found the mill so charming. It looked old. It reminded me of the days of a by-gone era. Now it appears newer and more like a part of today’s world. I began to wish that it had been left alone, unchanged, standing in its original state, scarred by the hands of time.

I plopped down on my bottom on a rock by the water and stared more at the waterwheel, still pouting that somebody had come along and changed my mill. As I looked at the rusty wheel, I noticed that it was sitting more securely against the building rather than barely attached and ready to roll away as it was when I last visited. Then I noticed the broken windows had been replaced. And someone had removed the graffiti left by some redneck lovers. Those were good things. The structure was now more stable and intact and protected from the merciless weather. A little bit at time, I came around and finally admitted that I was glad that someone had cared enough about my mill to restore it. Because of this, Sells Mill will be stronger, prepared to weather the storms, and survive to be standing for many more years to come.

This got me thinking about changes. Everything changes, including people. Like it or not, I know I personally have changed much over the years. Sometimes these changes don’t seem like the best thing at the time nor do they seem to be for the better. The changes we make in ourselves, either by own power or that of an outside force, are like restoration for our hearts, souls, and minds. And in the end, like Sells Mill, I think we will find that they have made us strong enough to weather the storms of life and sculpted us into a survivor who will be able to stand on their feet for many more years to come.

See what happens to my mind when I’m bored? I contemplate mills and the changes of life.


Waterfall from the mill pond.











You can see the original wood still on the sides in this picture.








View from the parking area.

Self portraits also happen when I am bored. Especially when I have a place to myself and do not need to worry about how ridiculous I look propping my camera up, hitting the shutter, and running as fast as I can to try to get into a pose before the camera clicks. By the way, don't be laughing at my hair! It was a windy day! :)

After all the self portrait fun, it was becoming darker and cold. I took this one last shot of the dying light reflected in the mill pond. I wonder what changes I will find next time I come back.