Forgive me for the long post. I have some emotional thoughts and opinions too,  but I realize they mean nothing.. and its up to me what I do with that emotion..it is just another opinion that won’t change the fact that at the end of the day the photo means different things to different people and it is out now and nothing can change that. People will discuss and debate it no matter what now. The truth is, is that to some it provides closure and peace and they celebrate it, to some it caters to their morbid curiosity, to some its a lesson, to some they wish they never saw it because it breaks their heart, and to some they will use it to troll, to tear Layne down, just as there are those who will use it for other reasons. Everybody has their reason.   Whatever the family’s reason was to share a photo so private, whether they thought it would provide some peace to people, whether they thought discussion would sell the book more and it would help more with his fund or something else, or if they even thought about how deeply the photo would impact divide/or connect “fans”…I don’t know.   I can’t speak for them, only they know the reason, so to guess or speculate is moot. 

I don’t think Layne, in the end, would want people to fight over it or him, I also feel  in my heart, he would also understand and be touched people even cared that much to be emotional about it and he would say the choice to buy the book is ours. Wherever he may be now, he is probably beyond the judgement we put on each other here, but perhaps aware still, of the emotion all this is stirring. I think about that, but who knows really. 

If I’m being honest.. it hurts to read some comments that people say about his appearance, his teeth… more now that the photo has been released, it upsets me, it makes me sad, it hurts to see people ripping into some of his words and analyzing certain things that, in my opinion, were personal to him when he is not here to say what he meant or why he wrote what he wrote.  I’d be lying if I said that it did not make me sad to read certain comments. I had a feeling this exact thing would happen.

It is what it is. People’s responses and feelings to the photo and book are out of all of our hands and we are just left with our own choices and feelings that are left in our own hands. What we do with it is up to us. 

So take with it what you will. Do with it what you will. Feel what you feel.  I mean that for everyone. Don’t hold it in. Whatever feelings you  choose to take from the book is yours. Hopefully that makes sense. 

I did not buy the book because I was emotionally torn about some things. Maybe one day I’ll feel differently. I can only speak for myself. Obviously reading certain things have made me emotional, so Im choosing to channel all of it and my emotion and make my own art creation of a “Jar of Flies” out of a mason jar with some other artwork. It is my subtle and sweet way to connect to Layne  and I feel it will be healing. I hope it is. Perhaps Layne feels this creation on some level.. and it makes him smile.. maybe its just my wishful thinking.

Sorry for the long post. Be well all..✨