In 1993, twenty-two year old Dan Eldon, a photojournalist for Reuters covering the atrocities of Somalia, was killed. He left behind a legacy of seventeen black-bound journals. Dan’s story has touched countless lives aided by the publication of The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon in 1997 by his mother Kathy. In the book, Kathy compiled selected pages from the journals, and these pages invite the viewer (or do I really mean voyeur) along on Dan’s journey. We were just two of the many who went along for the journey.
The two of us have spent countless hours pouring over the pages soaking in their richness and vitality. We feel a kinship to Dan Eldon, and we are grateful to have shared that journey. We are grateful to Dan’s family for bringing his story to light - for Dan was truly the impetus that has brought us to this point. He has inspired so many to journey through life and to leave a legacy for others, and so he has inspired us. Dan is at the heart of this, and so we want to thank Dan, his mother, and his sister for such a legacy. Without the journals of Dan Eldon there would be no Journal Fodder Junkies.
For more information on Dan Eldon, his journals, and his photographs, check out http://www.daneldon.org/.