A few weeks ago, I traveled to the fork in the road. Located in Pasadena, California, Bob Stane and Ken Marshall created an eighteen-foot tall wooden fork at a small plot in the middle of St. John Avenue, Pasadena Avenue, and Bellefontaine Street. This fork stands in all of its literal glory. A ninety-plus-degree day in August beckoned me to its location.

I appreciate the odd and quirky, especially when it entails a good, honest fight. It’s true that the best and most attractive people have experienced some sort of struggle or suffering. Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer once said, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

I had figuratively and factually come to a fork in the road on this particularly hot day. One of the most appealing aspects of this Southern California roadside attraction was the deviant nature of its erection. Stane and Marshall placed it without the city’s consent. It was removed due to these illegalities but later replaced after the builders obtained insurance and blessings from city officials. The giant fork has served as the site of many a food drive amongst other charitable efforts. What’s not to love about this oversized kitchen utensil?

NEVER THOUGHT I’D SPOON A FORK IN THE ROAD

I decided that spooning a fork would make for an ironic and fun photo. As the sun beat down on my exposed shoulders, busy weekend traffic passing by, I did my best to spoon this utensil covered in spider webs. Clearly, it hadn’t gotten much love as of late. I walked away with welcomed cobwebs on my tan, suede shoes, and an appreciation for the idiosyncratic resilience of two random guerilla artists.