Rapture

Sole Salvation

Sole Salvation

Acrylic Collage using Joplin Tornado debris

On May 22, 2011, a monstrous EF5 Tornado hit my hometown Joplin, Missouri.  Many Joplin residents who lost their homes that day miraculously survived the damage.  Among the survivors was a former classmate of mine, known to her friends for her passion and large collection of shoes.  She had so many that she kept them in a separate closet, neatly stored and accessible.  As the tornado sirens sounded, she took refuge in an interior closet – her shoe closet.  When the tornado passed, her neighbors dug her out from beneath storm debris and found her alive and unhurt.  Her beloved shoes and shoeboxes had fallen on top and all around her, sheltering and protecting her from glass and house debris.  Her shoes saved her life!     Gaylen Whiteman (Gay Wilder)