photo irony (will rap 4 weed)

I may not be good at it but I love to do it. I like to take pride in my photos. I'm still learning as I go. I've never really been good at anything but what I do love to do is taking a camera everywhere I go. I don't share a lot of my photos mainly for the criticism. I don't like to take the ones that you have to work for. I like taking the random ones. I had entered a photo on a small board for a gallery showing a while ago. I had help from my partner. Never thought something like a photo on a board would sell, but it did. Due to it being in the show I was able to enter another piece and this time it was an actual framed photo. It didn't sell. I'm going to be honest and say I don't mind when it doesn't get sold because I get a kick out of you seeing it. When the gallery owner found out that the photo didn't sell he told me not to stick with photography. He didn't really care for that (art). I mean anyone can take a photo, right? He made it seam easy as if anyone can do it.

This is what I do. I'm not the painter, the musician, or the professional photographer. I just do what I do. A few weeks ago there was another call to artists but this time to photographers. You would have three days to go down Deep Ellum and shoot a photo of anything happening that was going on in Deep Ellum this particular weekend. The topic was when you think of Deep Ellum, what comes to mind? Most of my time spent in Deep Ellum was day light walks. I wanted to see how different it was to capture a photo of Deep Ellum at night.  I found out about it on Thursday and on Saturday night we were roaming the streets with my camera. Had fun doing it, one of my favorite things to do in this world is walking and taking pictures. I had taken a few shots so I had to narrow it down to one photo and that alone was tough. Come Monday I had to drop it off. That same Thursday the viewing of the others photographers photos were to be displayed. We got there late and to my surprise my photo had already been sold. I picked the one with the young lady standing on a car holding two signs that read "will rap for weed" across from Trees (music venue). This is what I think about when I think of Deep Ellum. Deep Ellum to me is local music. Not necessary that she would rap for weed but the fact that music is the number one factor that describes Deep Ellum.

had the doors open so everyone could hear the music

check out that line at ten pm

slaughter haunted house friend

graffiti art even on the potty 

zombie hunters

What is now ironic to me is that the one man that didn't think photography was even an art, a form of expressing oneself just cut me a check for my photo. His words when he gave me the check were " you are now a professional photographer" you would think that that feeling of someone calling me a professional photographer would have made me feel good but it didn't. I've sold photos before and have sold them for charities but here was a man that didn't even know me that has told me to not stick with photography had now classified me as "professional" because he physically handed me money for doing it, photography.

I find in my life
many ironic things.

thousands to rest

Have you ever stepped foot to a home that houses thousands of soldiers?

 

When that day comes how will you handle the death of your loved one? There is no correct way. No lesson plan. No one else to handle it for you. We just have to handle it the best way that we can.

It will take time to heal but in the process try to live every step of the way. At least that is what I believe to be the best option there is. I don't speak from experience. I speak from watching others suffer the emptiness that they must feel.

You've heard about, tomorrow is not promised, but have you heard, the next few hours are not promised as well?

There was a loving wife that ate lunch with her husband every day except for the day he played golf with his buddies. Lunch is so simple but at times is just a way of saying I have to at least see you just to get through the next half of the day. He dropped her back off and when she arrived home she didn't imagined she wouldn't see his smiling face any more. He'd had his last lunch with her.

What happens though when it was just the wife and the husband. She now feels so alone. What do you say to her? How do you get her to move ahead and try to be strong?

Have you ever just sat down and written exactly what needs to be done in case of your absence. Don't do it just for your loving partner but for your children as well. It may sound silly to you but if I and my partner were to pass together at the same time, who'd look after our four legged babies? How would they understand what will become of them? Hoping they'd end up in a loving home. In the week ahead I encourage you to do just that, write or let someone know what you wish to be done. Death is scary but it shouldn't be something you are afraid to talk about. It will eventually happen.

Ended today helping a friend say goodbye to her husband. She doesn't know how she will go on. I tell her to be strong, take her time to heal, and that even though she thinks its over that it isn't. He was buried at the Dallas Ft. Worth National Cemetery today along with twelve others. Twelve other men and women now accompany his side. Think about it for a second.  In one day twelve families had to say goodbye to their loved ones. She wasn't alone in this cycle of life.