Photo Story- Tattoos and Their Meanings

Tattoos are becoming increasingly popular, and every one comes with a story. I asked a variety of people why they got their tattoos and what significance they had for them.

“I have been a Jags fan since I was little. I grew up in St. Augustine and have season tickets to all of their games.” Aaron Eades

“My great grandma gave me a rosary when I was younger, but she died when I was 8. The dates are the day that my cousin was born and the day that he passed away. He died of a heroine overdose at age 21.” -Alisiana Mahaffey

“Each elephant is a member of my family: my dad, my mom, my sister, and me.” Alisiana Mahaffey

“I’m Catholic, but the bible verse is something I followed throughout my softball career, and the roman numerals are the year that I was adopted.” Andreea Cardani

“I’m Jewish. The tattoo on my back is Hebrew for wisdom. I got it to keep myself grounded in my studies and my faith.” Hannah Reiter

“Dragonflies signify adventure and solitude. We got them to keep us connected when we graduate and move on to different places.” Madi and Alexis

“I got this piece mostly for fun. I like the artist’s work a lot, and I am a horror movie fan, so I let him kinda go wild.” Pete Hughes

“They don’t really have meaning, I just like the way that they look.” Chrisman

“I served in the marines for seven years, and got this tattoo to remember that I will always be a soldier first.” Robert Chapel

Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp

The Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, established in 1984, is called the “psychic capital of the world”.

George P. Colby founded the camp as instructed by his Native American spiritual guide, Seneca. The tradition of seances has continued on past his death.

A small private community, the community members agreed to let me photograph the town, but not any of the psychics.

Lily, 27, has worked in the camp as a certified psychic for 7 months. She enjoys working with crystals most because she feels “they connect her to the natural elements of the earth”.

Barbara, 54, has lived in the community of Cassadaga for 15 years. She came after her husbands death to “find a new family” and further develop her spirituality.

The camp has many natural areas dedicated to quiet meditation.

Aside from the large parks, small gardens can be found behind almost every building, providing a place of quiet and solace for any visitor.

To substantiate their income, many psychics sell food, beverage, and souvenirs in their stores as well as offering their psychic services.

For visitors who seek out a darker experience, many haunted tours and supernatural experiences are offered around the camp as well.

A wide array of homes and psychics span the community. They use the outside of their homes to advertise their services and convey the meaning of their practice.

Trashed Streets

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In a one mile walk to class, I came across the above pictured pieces of trash among many others that littered the streets. Every piece of trash pictured lies within 100 feet of a waste bin. This is what St. Augustine looks like, and what it could look like as a trash-free town.

Day of Service

On Saturday, February 17, Flagler College Volunteers went in busloads to volunteer in the St. Augustine community in the 5th Day of Service event, spearheaded by Paige Armstrong, a Senior at Flagler College and the founder of the volunteer organization.

One of the groups was sent to the Council on Aging, located at 180 Marine Street.

The group worked for 8 hours to manicure the garden area outside of the building.

Both students and Flagler College Alumni gathered to spruce up the garden for the members of the Council on Aging.

Activities varied from raking weeds to hand-picking unwanted greenery from in between the bricks in the garden’s walkway.

Much work was needed as the garden does not receive daily attention from the busy employees who run the Council on Aging.

With Flagler College Volunteers’ help and budget, tools were provided to the volunteers so that the gardeners could work as efficiently as possible.

Sierra Hoover, 21, from Pennsylvania shovels a plot for a new bed of flowers to be placed by the walkway.

Brenna DeBlasio, 19 picks up the extra weeds and trash in the garden after they have raked the area.

The members at Council on Aging weren’t the only ones who benefited from the volunteers’ work. Resident birds now also have a home in the garden outside.

Humans of St. Augustine

William, 38, from the Iberian Peninsula, plays guitar on the streets of St. Augustine while he is not working for a construction site.

His music is influenced by the sounds of Colombia, where he learned to play guitar from an older mentor.

Because of his faith and citizenship status, William does not give me his last name, but is willing to talk about his worldly travels.

His greatest fear for the world is the rise of capitalism and democracy in developing countries.

Christine and Frank Both live in Wisconsin full time, but use their sailboat to travel the globe. They stay close to coastal lines, as they have had too many scares on the open seas. The couple met when they were young and have traveled together following Frank’s job ever since. Christine Both tells me she fears reaching an age where she can no longer roam about freely. She tells me that the “adventure is what makes life worth living” to her.

Craig, 45, from Woodstock, New York, has spent the majority of his life as a social activist.

He refuses to give me his last name because of past trouble he has had with homeland security, but he does elaborate on his beliefs and fears surrounding the advancement of technology and what it means for the future of the global population.

He tells me he has fought for many causes, but was never particularly passionate about a political agenda.

He leaves these magnets around town to spread the word for his cause now that he feels his voice has been suppressed by the government.

Craig says he “used to be loud” about issues, but has been scared into silence after getting to close to homeland security

People at Work

 

Sophia Pike, 21, from Ponte Vedra, Florida works part-time as a cashier and baker at Cousteau’s Waffle and Milkshake Bar in the downtown St. Augustine area while attending full-time school at Flagler College.

Cousteau’s brings in a wide variety of customers and gets “quite busy on the weekends” according to Pike.

Nell Vanden Brook, 20, from Madison, Wisconsin is a friend to Pike and says she likes to visit her at work as frequently as possible.

Vanden Brook drops her spare change in the tip jar for Pike and her coworker, who will split the tips at the end of their shift.

Pike tells me that side work is her least favorite part of the job at Cousteau’s, but the dining room must “stay well-stocked in case they get a rush”.

A large group of people walk through the door as Pike prepares to take their orders. Her coworker is prepping batter in the back for the waffles that are about to be ordered.

Pike “enjoys making the waffles a lot, but loves to work the register” because she gets to talk with the people who come through the door.

Pike’s favorite thing about Cousteau’s is that the bar stools are all adjustable by simply spinning them one direction or another, allowing for a person to sit in a perfectly comfortable position at the bar as they enjoy their waffle.

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Sophia Pike says she puts sprinkles on “as many milkshakes as possible” because it “makes people really happy to get sprinkles”.

Cousteau’s has a prominent social media presence, and boasts it in their store. The ticker pictured is connected to their Facebook page and changes every time another person likes the Cousteau’s page.