The Pensacola Lighthouse

The Pensacola Lighthouse sits on the grounds of NAS Pensacola, shining its light as a beacon to mariners entering the Pensacola Bay.



I have seen the lighthouse everyday while in Pensacola, but had not visited it. Yesterday I made the 177 step climb to the top of the tower. It is well worth it.

Tours of the lighthouse occur every Saturday, from 12 - 4, May through October.



The current lighthouse was lit in 1859. It stayed manned until 1965 when it was automated. The Keepers' Quarters were next door and housed the Keeper and family, as well as the Assistant Keeper and family.



Supposedly at some point in its past, someone was murdered in the southeast bedroom. The floor is said to be stained with blood that never came out. Do you see it?



Through out the night, the Keeper would climb 177 steps to the top of the lighthouse to keep the light going. We followed in his footsteps.



As you climb the steps, you pass various windows, each offering a new perspective in elevation and bearing.






177 steps, wrapped around the center pole, climbing 191 feet above the water.



Upon reaching the last step, you come to the light, the purpose of the lighthouse, shining 27 miles into the night.



But for us today, the purpose of the lighthouse is two fold. To walk in the footsteps of the lighthouse keeper who kept the light to protect ships and their crew, and to enjoy the views offered by the lighthouse.

Change

Change is inevitable. The seasons inevitably change. The warmth of summer will turn to the cool of fall and the cold of winter. The land inevitably changes. Mountains grow where the land was once flat. Rivers dry up where they once ran wild. The Man in the Mountain crumbled. Kilauea continues to erupt, increasing the size of the island of Hawaii. People inevitably change. Babies are born. Peoples' bodies show the wear of age. Children who were once small are now large adults. Death continues to reign over all who live. The weather inevitably changes. The rain of one day turns to the sunshine of another. The heat of one day is replaced by the coolness of the next. Relationships inevitably change. I meet new people. I discover things about people and dissolve the relationship. I discover things about people and strengthen the relationship. I lose touch with people I know as time and distance separate us.

But do I have to change? Just because a relationship changes, do I have to change in response to that? Will I some day have to make a decision to change from where I am today?

Everything changes, but does that have to include me?