by Skip Cohen​

It's a typical Sunday morning. If you're new to Reflections, be warned: I always go off track, typically writing about something other than business and marketing in imaging. This morning is too good not to share, and if you have fun with this and get involved, then I'll take credit - if you hate the idea, it's all Glen Clark's fault! LOL

Glen and I have been friends since a meeting at Kodak in the early nineties. We've worked on different projects together, caught up at various shows/conferences, and shared a bunch of meals together. And we grab a phone call with each other regularly. We've had a lot of great ideas and laughs over a twenty-five-year friendship, and we're not letting the pandemic slow us down.

Yesterday he sent me the images below and wrote:

​So, I'm running with the idea. Let's start our own gallery of photographers with BP (Before Pandemic) and AP (After Pandemic) images of haircuts, beards, anything fun in the grooming category. Everyone has been forced to let their hair grow through some part of the mandatory or voluntary quarantine. 

Here at our house, I finally trusted Sheila to cut my hair. As Florida's Covid-19 numbers spike again, we're not going to the barber/salon. But I have to admit, she's cut my hair twice, and she's getting good at it. And if she screws up - who cares? Nobody's close enough to see it anyway!

Then I remembered a month ago another great friend, Melissa Ghionis shared her "BP" and "AP" hair. She wrote on Facebook:

​Sadly, Lucy didn't do quite as well as the rest of us when I bought a dog grooming kit. Fortunately, the mirrors are all too high for her to reach and see herself. Otherwise, we'd have a case of puppy PTSD on our hands. I definitely took too much off the top, but she seems to have forgiven me so far.

​So, how brave are you? Let's have some fun with this and share your before and afters...and if you're still in the before mode, share the image anyway. Send it to me in an IM on Facebook. Let's get an industry gallery going, with no other purpose than having fun.

Remember, "fun?" It's a word that's too often lost, especially over the last few months. Time to get it back!

Wishing everybody a day filled with a few laughs and simply having fun. We'll get through this crisis, and while we'll never look back and laugh, that doesn't mean we can't have a few chuckles NOW! Thank you for following me; thank you for your support and, most importantly, thank you for helping me stay focused on what's important - this morning, a little laughter!

Stay safe and healthy!

Happy Sunday!

by Skip Cohen

Last Sunday, I was on a "staycation," at the end of a week off to clear my head. I needed a break. We didn't go anywhere, just hung out at home, enjoyed each other and the pups, while binge-watching good and bad movies. A tropical storm blew into South Florida, so we spent a lot of time inside.

I'm back this morning, and my post yesterday seems to have sparked opinions from all sides, including one person who gets the Uninformed Jackass Award and runner-up for the saddest use of the F-bomb. He(or she) told me the flu comes the same time every year with the same number of deaths and never shut down the economy. 

And on that note, I set out to write today's Sunday Morning Reflections. One key point I wanted to make yesterday - you've got to take care of yourself and the people you love and care about. I have no idea who to believe about anything lately, so we're going to continue to hunker down. However, I have noticed some interesting discoveries while in hunker down mode:

• Sheila's become an expert cutting my hair and did a far better job on me than I did on Lucy, one of our pups. She would have been the laugh of the dog park if we were going out.
• Fridays have become pizza on the grill day - give it a shot if you've never tried it. You need indirect heat - my grill has three burners, so the pizza's in the middle with the two side burners are on, holding the temp at 400.
• We've learned we can knock off a season from almost any Amazon series in a week. We've also learned it takes us fifteen minutes to realize we've already seen a movie we just paid for...aging is no fun!
• I can get in and out of the Publix Supermarket in 20 minutes for those quick hits of avocados, other vegetables, and fruit. But, I have to do it without my glasses, since they steam up when wearing a mask.
• Shopping without my glasses on means there's no telling what I'm bringing home. It's a repeat of my Bonnie Raitt story...buying her album years ago without my reading glasses, I got back to find out I purchased Ratt.
• I've got the greatest control over my garage, my bedroom, and office closets I've ever had, and Goodwill has seen the largest bags of clothes we've ever donated.

​And to my "buddy" who told me this is just another flu season...no need to put on a mask. With your head where it is, you'll be protected. You just won't be able to drive.

Time to wrap it up and simply wish you a great Sunday and time to think about how to make your life better. None of us know who to believe in where the pandemic is taking us, but we are an industry that watches out for each other, and we can get through this together. 

Wishing everybody a day filled with peace, love, and respect for other people's opinions, even when you want to choke the crap out of them. Never lose your sense of humor.

Happy Sunday, or Monday if you're on the other side of the world. Stay safe and healthy.​

In the end we only regret the chances we didn't take.
Unknown

​by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning, and as always, I'm off track from business, marketing, and photography. I had no idea what to write about until Melody Beattie finally dropped an idea I can't entirely agree with. In her daily meditations, she talked about the negative side of "what if's."

"What if's" can make us crazy. They put control over our life in someone else's hands. "What if's" are a sign that we have reverted to thinking that people have to react in a particular way for us to continue on our course."

I'm a what if guy...but NOT the way Melody's using the expression. I'm the knucklehead who uses what if as a push to the positive side of things. To me, what if is a question, meaning, "What if I try something different?" What if is all about the positive. It's about progress and pushing the edge of my personal envelope.
 
"What if" is the challenge I make to myself all the time. It's the way I analyze the pros and cons of trying something new. And it includes, "What if what I'm about to try is a failure?" Well, my answer is always the same - "I'll try something else!"

The biggest what if in our house over the past year was probably "What if we got two puppies?" Sheila and I wrestled with it and, in November, picked up Lucy and Belle. 

The next 90 days were hell. Through the stress of two pups, we'd painfully ask ourselves, "What made us think we had the patience to train two dogs?"

Well, now we're saying, "What if we didn't have the girls?" 

These two pups, now ten months old, are entirely entrenched as members of the family. They've figured it out, and the pure joy they bring us, especially through the pandemic, is beyond measure. So our what if has become, "What if we didn't have them?"
 
So, the next time you're getting ready to try something new, hesitating and using "what if" as a negative, switch it around and ask, "What if I don't try this?" The pandemic has changed everything in our lives. We're all dealing with a new normal and how to stay positive, motivated, and keep those creative juices flowing. Asking "what if?" is your license to try something new, and as long as you learn something in the process, there's no such thing as failure!

Wishing everybody a Sunday of peace and time to appreciate everything in your life that makes you smile. It's easy to forget all the good things in life when "fun" is buried under the stress of today's challenges. And when it comes to the problem of getting business back on track, ask yourself, "What if I try something totally different this week?"

Happy Sunday, or Monday, if you're on the other side of the world!

by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning and if nothing else, you have to admit I'm consistent. Reflections has become a weekly ritual. If you're new to the SCU blog, be warned, there's no telling how far off-track from photography, marketing or business I might stray!

I ran a post about this Rangefinder cover two years ago. I found it this week in some old files. I decided it was perfect to make a point about the changes we're all going through as a result of the pandemic and social distancing.

​The short backstory about the image goes back to my Rangefinder Magazine days. The photographer was Damien Bredberg, and the image won him Editorial Photographer of the Year in Australia in 2004. Adding to the fun of the backstory, it was his father, who was the model.

Within a week or two of being published, I started getting hate mail and even a nasty phone call. The call came from a reader in Arkansas who called me a "porn-monger," and claimed his granddaughter was emotionally crippled by seeing the cover when she went to get the mail. Then came a woman who ripped off the cover and mailed it to me, claiming her magazine was now better for the change. Last on the list was a woman who wrote, "May the view from the back of this motorcycle rider be your just reward!" 

And that takes me to my point today - Most of us have been in some form of lockdown for over two months. In the process, we've become overly sensitive. We don't ask for clarification when we don't understand what somebody wrote or said.

Then we open the door for more stress. We listen to the news and believe the media. We believe what we read - after all, if it's on the Internet, it must be true. Anxiety and frustration, combined with genuinely missing human contact, is taking its toll on our smile muscles. Our happy gene has atrophied. 
 
Notice I used "we" in the above reference? None of us are above the impact controlled isolation is having. I repeatedly have to catch myself from being overly sensitive. Sheila and I help each other stay grounded along with two puppies that drag us off to the happy zone, whether we want to go or not.

Things are not going to return to normal magically, but we can get better on dealing with the new normal. Stay in touch with friends via Zoom, Skype, Facetime - whatever it takes to get face to face contact. Use your phone more, not to text, but to call. The printed word is the most challenging way to communicate, but throw in the tone of your voice, and it's the next best thing to being with somebody.

We're part of an amazing industry. Even with the restrictions created by the pandemic, things haven't changed in the need for people to capture and share memories.

​I used to show that RF cover as one of my last slides any time I was teaching, and my words are still relevant:

Don't let "fun" be one of those lost words buried under the stress of the pandemic. It takes work, but it's so worth keeping it active in your vocabulary.

Wishing everybody a day of fun, and in the US a long holiday weekend and time to catch up to friends, even if it's only on a Skype call. And those long hugs I used to write about - they'll come back some day. In the mean time, keep building on the foundation of friendships and love you have with those people most special in your life.

Happy Sunday...and Monday to friends on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen
 
This is my third attempt today at writing Sunday Morning Reflections. The challenge I'm having is what to write about without sounding like a curmudgeon. Like most of you, I'm tired of the loss of freedom due to the pandemic. But, more frustrating is the way the media reports it, and the political spin they put on what we're all going through. 

Sheila and I now watch the news selectively. We're watching movies and binge-watching one series after another. We're spending a lot of time with each other and the pups. The two most intense and unique times of the day are deciding what we're having for dinner, and putting together an updated list for a weekly trip to the market. 

For me, creativity is a challenge - not because I've lost it, but because I'm feeling overwhelmed about where to start. I'm caught in analysis paralysis. The result is procrastination, a shorter than normal fuse, and time looking out the window!

Sound familiar?

After all that, the truth is we really are all in this together. What I'm feeling, Sheila's feeling, we're all feeling. But then I snap out of it. I do the same thing every day - at some point, my energy moves to the more positive side of the scale, and I count my blessings. We're healthy, we've got friends who we can catch up to online and our phone works - no texting just real calls. And we've even got toilet paper!

And that brings me to my real point:​

"Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before,
how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way,
and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever."
Zahid Abas

​Wishing everybody a day filled with keeping things in perspective. It's okay to feel frustrated, angry, and confused, but this is where you also have to remember you're not alone. WE'RE ALL FEELING IT! We will get through us, but because of our own resolve and common sense. And if you're missing those long therapeutic hugs, pick up a phone and call an old buddy. I can promise you; it'll bring a smile to your face and maybe even lift up your heart just a little.

​Stay safe and healthy.

by Skip Cohen
 
There's something very different that happens on Mother's Day when your Mom has passed away. For me, it's become less sad. It's not so much about missing her, but a time that's more of a tribute. I find myself running through memories like searching for a file on my computer. It's an odd but enjoyable process.

Alzheimer's started robbing us of my mother just a year or two before Bambi Cantrell captured the portrait above. After seven years, Mom lost the battle, but even near the end, she still had moments when everything came together. I remember getting over to hospice early one morning by myself, two days before she passed away. I walked in and said, "Hey Mom, you look great today!" Her response, "Why shouldn't I?"

Sheila and I are blessed living in Florida, and it's thanks to Mom; we're here. In October 2011, Sheila could take early retirement from her job, and I could go anywhere I had a computer. My Dad was 89 and needed help. So, for the first time since I graduated high school, I was able to live close to my folks. It's become one of the very best decisions I've ever made.

So, to my Mother...I miss you, Mom. We talk about you all the time. I think about you most often when I'm cooking, and over the years, Sheila's heard story after story of things I learned from you - even the tough lessons. And knowing how much you loved a view of the water, any water, you're in my heart any time we're near the ocean.

And to all of you Moms out there right now who inspire all of us, I can't say it better than Sarah Petty said it a few days ago in one of her Joy of Marketing emails:

Wishing all of you a terrific day ahead. Send your Mom a virtual hug if she's outside your house and if she's with you right now, then go for one of those good old eleven-second hugs I used to write about.

One of the first things you learn in an Alzheimer's support group is that you're not alone in what you're feeling. Well, it's no different in a pandemic. We're all feeling the same anxiety and frustration, but we'll get through this together and for many of you, in part, it'll be thanks to your Mom. 

​Happy Mother's Day!

​by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning, and I couldn't be more off-track from photography but not from what so many of us are feeling. Life is out of balance. On any given day, I'm an emotional roller coaster. I find myself feeling angry with a short fuse for what seems to be no logical reason...ten minutes later, I'm smiling, hugging Sheila and playing with the pups. 

For the most part, we've stopped watching the news, but we caught the idiots around the country, protesting their right to assemble on beaches and in various state capital buildings. Honestly, I don't get it - during the worst 48 hours for deaths and new cases since the pandemic began, different governors were arguing over whether or not to reopen their states! 

So, my world has become very small - it's our home, Sheila, me and two pups. It all works, and I'm grateful for so many things I took for granted most of my life. We venture out to the market, CVS, and here and there to go for a ride. I'm grateful my career morphed into writing and online education, but I'm miserable in missing human contact, a few bro-hugs, handshakes, and face to face time with friends. At the same time, I found myself uncomfortable the other day talking to somebody who wasn't maintaining social distancing!

The challenge initially with sheltering in place was a lack of balance. Everything tilted to being home, and just the four of us...but now we're finding a balance between work and family time. I've mentioned Melody Beattie many times over the years. On Thursday, she had a short piece on balance, and it's perfect for sharing this morning:
 
The goal is balance. We need balance between work and play. We need balance between giving and receiving. We need balance in thought and feelings. We need balance in caring for our physical self and our spiritual self.

A balanced life has harmony between a professional life and a personal life. There may be times when we need to climb mountains at work. There may be times when we put extra energy into our relationships. But the overall picture needs to balance.

Just as a balanced nutritional diet takes into account the realm of our nutritional needs to stay healthy, a balanced life takes into account all our needs; our need for friends, work, love, family, play, private time, recover time, and spiritual time - time with God. If we get out of balance our inner voice will tell us. We need to listen.

And for those of you who feel God doesn't belong in a blog post, get over it. Feel free to substitute whatever you believe in. The point is to pay attention to your inner voice and don't stop believing in yourself.

For all of us, this is the toughest time we'll ever share/experience in our lifetimes. We can get through this, but it means to accept virtual hugs instead of the real thing, face time on a computer screen, and sharing recipes rather than a meal together. We're an industry with a tradition of working together and watching each other's backs. Rather than let the pandemic push us into withdrawal - it's time to step it up and become more outgoing, and Cyberspace gives us that opportunity.

Wishing everybody a day of peace, good health, and safety. Think about your life right now and if you're out of balance what's missing to get back on an even keel. There's an old African proverb: "Smooth seas don't make skilled sailors." Well, we've all been sailing through the perfect storm for two months, and when this is over, there's nothing we won't be able to accomplish. 
​
Happy Sunday!

by Skip Cohen

​The only thing still consistent for me on Sundays is how much I enjoy writing Sunday Morning Reflections. As I've written so many times in the past, it's therapeutic and often more for my benefit than my readers. Well, needing a therapeutic moment at least once a week is another characteristic of what's become the new normal.

Over the years, I thought I did an excellent job of adjusting to all the changes. I accepted my loss of privacy as my phone suddenly was with me everywhere I went. I learned not to take it personally when somebody was talking to me, and the call was dropped. I adjusted to all caps in an email, meaning somebody was yelling at me. I ate lower carbs. I changed my vitamins each time research showed that whatever I was taking was no longer a healthy solution...on Vitamin E - off Vitamin E etc. I gave up ties, then suits and sport jackets, then accepted completely casual attire. I even tried to like eating Kale!

Life was so easy just seven weeks ago! 

I now have five masks to choose from when running to the market. I say hi to neighbors, but I don't always know who they are because of their mask. ( I had my first wardrobe malfunction at the register: My mask slipped off one ear and my left cheek was exposed!) The old Jerry Seinfeld "close talker" episode would now be anybody five feet away rather than the social distancing six. I have to pay attention to the one-way aisles in the store - God forbid I should head up an empty aisle in the wrong direction. And going to the mailbox is a process. I get the mail. Open it in the garage, and make sure I don't touch my face before washing my hands.

But here's what hasn't changed...

My love for this crazy community we're all a part of. Even something as fun as my mask wardrobe for today's post brought out another new normal in my life - playing with Platypod. For those of you who have one, Square Jellyfish makes this great little adapter for your cell phone, which I use for "Facetiming" with family and friends.

And I'm actually talking with friends MORE now than before. We're all starving for contact, and my phone as an instrument to talk to somebody directly has never been more valuable. Just when I finally figured texting out, talking came back.

While I miss real contact, bro-hugs, and a firm handshake, this is the new norm. There's a stronger sense of family and plenty of time to be together, but also time to find plenty of moments for personal thought. We've binge-watched one great series after another, but always together - Sheila, me, and the pups.

There's also never been more support for photographers to expand their skill set. The downtime has created one opportunity after another with programs like QuaranCon, Out of Chicago LIVE going on today, the f64 Lunch Bunch every Wednesday, and the list goes on and on. And, there are some great deals out there with discounts for ongoing programs like KelbyOne and Creative Live.

I guess it's time for my point this Sunday - Business will come back, but until then, you've got to protect yourself, your family, friends, and dig deep for every ounce of patience you can find.

Patience is not the ability to wait,
but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.
Joyce Meyer

​This is a time to step outside your comfort zone because it's the only place growth can flourish. Expand your skill set; take time to consider how you can hit the ground running as things slowly get better and do everything you can to stay in touch with your clients and target audience.

It would be an understatement to say what we're all feeling is a pain in the ass, but we really are all in it together. None of us are alone!

So, you know how to hold focus on your subject with a camera in your hands - now it's time to hold focus on your attitude. Keep it together, and on those days when you want to give up and feel weighed down by frustration - besides your immediate friends, there are so many of us out here willing to help - including me.

Wishing everybody a Sunday with more smiles than frowns and hang onto that sparkle you had when you first started in this business. Don't let the politicians mess with your head. Reduce your intake of news and whether you've got somebody there to hug or it's a virtual hug with a friend quarantined miles away - go for it!

​Happy Sunday!

by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday morning, and it couldn't be more typical as each day of the week becomes more and more like the one before it. The pandemic is challenging my creativity. Melody Beattie has never been more helpful than through the last month or so. This morning though I was surprised at the feeling of indignation her words, normally inspirational, created.

The thought for the day was called Freedom.

Many of us were oppressed and victimized as children. As adults, we may continue to keep ourselves oppressed. Some of us don't recognize that caretaking and not setting boundaries will leave us feeling victimized.
Some of us don't understand that thinking ourselves as victims will leave us feeling oppressed. 

Some of us don't know that we hold the key to our own freedom. That key is honoring ourselves, and taking care of ourselves.

We can say what we mean, and mean what we say. We can stop waiting for others to give us what we need and take responsibility for ourselves. When we do, the gates of freedom will swing wide. Walk through.

Today, I will understand that I hold the key to my freedom. I will stop participating in my oppression and victimization. I will take responsibility for myself, and let others do as the may.

​Remember, Melody Beattie is writing about codependency. In that context, she's always right on the mark, but she got me thinking about victimization. We do hold the key to our own freedom and need to honor and take care of ourselves.

Right now, we're ALL victims of an invisible terrorist, the coronavirus. We're also victims of a political system with too many politicians who would rather argue over who's to blame instead of finding ways to help their constituents. Last but not least, we're victims of ourselves, having taken so much for granted in the way we lived our lives before Covid-19. 

I was at WPPI when the news from China was starting to peak and still felt safe. We joked about my buddy Bob Coates always doing an elbow bump instead of a handshake or bro-hug. After all, this is the United States, and what was happening in China couldn't possibly happen here.

We're all victims right now, but the one way to not feel victimized is accept there's been a severe climate change. There's nothing we can do in terms of losing some of our freedom, but there's everything we can do to maintain a presence in society. We don't need to allow ourselves to disappear under the stress of anxiety, depression, or even loneliness.

My emotions throughout the day go up and down like the Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney. I worry about everything outside my control; I find myself in writer's block on and off, and when I'm on overload, I procrastinate and hide behind some absurd time-sucking game on my phone! 

So, here's my point - the only way to fight the ability of the virus to take over my life, is to focus on everything else.

• I'm on the phone with friends more than ever.
• Facebook has become my leading source to keep in touch with what's going on in our industry.
• I'm following so many of the FREE programming events being offered to photographers all over the world.
• We've stopped watching the news. The only things we're staying on top of are the recommendations for maintaining a safe household.
• We're binge-watching one series after another that we missed previously.
• I'm looking for new projects to help keep me focused and things I can do to help an industry I love dearly.

When you complain, you make yourself a victim.
Leave the situation, change the situation, or accept it. All else is madness.
Eckhart Tolle

So, we can't leave the situation, but we can change it and accept it...for now. We can use this time to become more skilled and creative. We can keep in touch with friends and associates and together create a level of cyber-energy to fight the anxiety and depression we're feeling.

I'm not suggesting we can do this alone - but together, there's nothing we can't accomplish. 

I'm wishing all of you a day of acceptance without complacency. Use the downtime to grow your skills and keep in touch with people important to you. Share your frustrations with other business owners in your community and utilize social media and meeting online to create ways to expand your reach. And while those therapeutic hugs I used to suggest are limited - they're still available to give and receive in the virtual world.

​Happy Sunday!

And as always, in the words of Sgt. Esterhaus (Michael Conrad):

by Skip Cohen
 
It's Sunday Morning Reflections time, and I doubt my feelings this morning are any different than yours - I'm missing the freedom I took for granted just a few months ago.

​Occasionally watching the news, I'm frustrated with the various arguments regarding the pandemic. For example, mask-on or mask-off? It shouldn't be a question. It's not wax-on wax-off with Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid. I don't get the need to argue - then again, I've never understood bikers who feel the helmet law challenges the Constitution!

I hit Publix supermarket yesterday with my mask and gloves...discovered if I'm wearing glasses, they steam up every time I exhale. So, without my contact lenses, and my glasses off, my vision is horrible. But I started laughing, thinking back to stupid things I've done when I can't see! Years ago I bought Bonnie Raitt's new album. I put it on in the car on the way home from NYC and it was horrible, all bad hard rock. Another look - without my my glasses on I bought "RATT." 

I made it through the supermarket run - didn't touch my face, and washed my hands for twenty seconds when I got home. Welcome to "Normalcy, 2020!"

For those of you too young to understand, "Is it soup yet?" It came out of a Lipton's soup commercial in the 70s and was a slam against Campbells. Suddenly, thanks to modern chemistry and technology, instant soup was there in seconds rather than the incredible struggle to wait a few minutes to cook soup on the stove! The bottom line is - today, it means "Is it time?" or "Is it done yet?"

Sadly the answer, when it comes to the challenges of dwindling patience, we're all facing staying home, is "NO!" And, while this mess we're in isn't over yet - we're getting closer to the end...patience is a virtue, although I found the perfect quote for how so many of us feel:

"Why is patience a virtue? Why can't hurry the F--- up be a virtue?"
Author unknown

​However, there are some very cool things happening if you take advantage of the time you've suddenly got.

• Phone a friend: Several times during the day I'm picking up the phone and calling friends I haven't talked to in a long time. It's been great and reaffirms the importance of all of us being social animals.
• Clean your office: I took the time this week to clean the closet in my office. In the process I finally found some of the connectors I misplaced along with lens caps, memory cards, and even two lights I can now use for online video.
• Step outside your comfort zone: Yesterday, with Sheila's help, Lucy got her first haircut. Instead of a professional groomer, I took on the challenge. As long as Lucy doesn't see herself in the mirror, I'm safe. I got the job done, but I couldn't help but look back to the one and only time my Dad cut my hair when I was 12 - I didn't take off my baseball hat for two weeks.
• Experiment in the kitchen: Not going out and being paranoid about carry-out, all our meals are at home. While it's something Sheila and I have always enjoyed together, it's more fun now. And we're going through more wine, even those gifted, dusty, we-never-heard-of vineyards somebody brought as a gift.

And last on the list - I've got at least forty images to share in a few upcoming posts based on the post I shared Friday and yesterday about sharing Joy. A few of you couldn't figure out the email address of skipatmei500dotcom. It's done that way to avoid spammers and spiders...so replace the "at" with a @ and "dot" with a .  Send me a low res image of something in your life right now, making you happy and bringing a little joy into your life. I'm going to be sharing all week long.

Wishing everybody a Sunday of peace, patience, safety and good health. Those long therapeutic hugs are still valid with whoever you're quarantined with, and if you're solo - give yourself a big pat on the back, stay safe and call a friend. We'll get through this.

Dawn Davis said it best in a comment to one of my posts yesterday:

Stay safe everybody...Happy Sunday!

​by Skip Cohen

After almost three weeks of self-quarantine, we're settling into what's fast becoming the new normal. If you're like me, defining "normal" includes anxiety, frustration, disbelief, and a complete change in my outlook on life. Getting out is now defined as a fast run to the market, social distancing, and paranoia, followed by hand-sanitizer, not touching my face and washing my hands before and after the groceries are unpacked!

I hate it; you hate it; we ALL hate it, but that doesn't mean we can't get through this and live wonderfully fulfilling lives! That old African proverb above sure seems to fit. Whether you've ever learned to sail or not, when this thing is over, we'll all be qualified to sail in the America's Cup!

This week, thanks to some great friends, we launched the f64 Lunch Bunch, an online get-together to talk about the change in business as a result of the pandemic. In every show the topic came up of the importance of remembering you're not alone. In fact, for the first time, certainly, in our history, the world is in this together.

Despite the pain of feeling isolated, there are a few things I've discovered to help get through it all.

• Pick up the phone and call somebody you care about. They'll almost ALWAYS answer because everybody is home and struggling to maintain their sanity.
• Facebook has become incredibly valuable to stay in touch. 
• I take nothing for granted these days and appreciate the simplest things. In other words, it doesn't take much to make me smile.
• We haven't watch the news for the last two days, and it's invigorating!
• I've got time to kick back and zone out. There's no telling where my mind might go, although I have to work to keep it focused on the positive and not get dragged down by the media.

Yesterday Sheila and I had a great day, not because of anything incredible we did, but because the two of us embraced a moment of being cool, calm, and collected. We found time to laugh! The weather's almost summer-like. I made a plate of nachos and a batch of Margaritas. We sat by the pool with a drink and munchies while the pups chased each other and wrestled.

I know we're lucky to have the weather on our side, and like so many homes in Florida, we have a pool. Wherever you are there's something you used to do at home that was fun and brought a smile to your face. That was us yesterday, and it was energizing. I'm not saying I'm not afraid, or that I have a handle on my fears, but if I make an effort I can lock the Boogie Man in the closet for hours at a time. And, when I'm in touch with being grateful for my life, there's very little that changes the Alfred E. Neuman smile on my face. (If you don't understand that last sentence, call somebody over forty.)

When my Dad was dealing with my Mom's Alzheimer's, she would come in and out of the clouds with a lucid moment. Dad would say, whenever those moments came, he was going to squeeze every drop of joy he could get out of them. He saved every one of those drops and drew from them whenever he had to deal with his sadness.
 
I guess that's what I'm trying to do now. We're safe for today, and all we can do is take it one day at a time. I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, but I do know if I let depression get hold of my heart, the virus wins. It's not easy, but we're all in this together.

So, pick up the phone and check in on an old friend. Cherish whoever's in your life right now. Smile over your love for helping people capture memories, but remember to check in on the stash of memories you've captured for yourself. Right now, they might be buried under a ton of emotional garbage, but take the time dig them out - it's so worth it, and it can start by just looking through files of images back in the days when Corona meant a cold beer!

Wishing everybody a day filled with memories, conversations with friends you've lost touch with, and a long hug if you're quarantined with your family, and a virtual hug in cyberspace if you're flying solo.

Oh, and apologies to my followers who heard me quote Sargeant Esterhaus and credit the wrong TV show. It was Michael Conrad on Hill Street Blues!

Happy Sunday, everybody - stay safe, healthy, and be careful out there.

by Skip Cohen
 
Lately, the definition of "normalcy" seems to be a moving target. It changes every day as paranoia searches my brain, looking for a vulnerable place to sink its teeth. Life has changed, but the good news is that none of us are alone. We're all in this together, and for once, when you're worried, none of your friends are saying, "Stop being paranoid."

Sheila and I both have allergies. This time of year, we sneeze and cough on and off all day long. But even though Zyrtec is a regular product in our house, it doesn't change that split second of paranoia when I hear her cough. And, if I let it take hold, I'll go mad. Sound familiar?

But here's the great thing about the industry we're all a part of - we watch each other's backs. I now make it a point to phone a friend or two every day...just to check in. I'm also following everybody on Facebook. I'm taking a few minutes each morning to go through old photographs or albums - I'm following my own self-medicating prescription to get through this nightmare - looking in my rearview mirror. I'm not looking back with sadness, but optimism waiting for the good old days to return, and they will!

Two things kicked off my morning to get me on track today. Ralph Romaguera sent me this picture, and all his email said was "Memories." He didn't need to say anymore because it's our memories that are the foundation not to lose sight of how good life really is.

It was 2014, and John Sexton received the Lifetime Achievement award from PPA at the Imaging USA convention. That's me, John and Kenny Rogers. I was telling Kenny about how my son's girlfriend's most prized possession back then was the damaged gear train from his Hasselblad ELX that had come in for repair. 

​As Sheila and I were talking about at that conference, Facebook was doing its share in helping with great memories. Lori Nordstrom was wandering through the archives and hit the "like" button on a shot of the "Young Guns" program from WPPI in 2008, and it came up in my notifications feed. It was a classic moment of looking in the rearview mirror and then telling Sheila about the program. 

A classic moment in that presentation was Mike Larson demonstrating how he'd set his camera on self-timer and then throw it 20 feet in the air to capture what then became a signature shot of the wedding party. Nobody had a drone back then!

And just a few weeks ago at WPPI, I caught up to three of the artists who were part of this program. And Facebook is keeping us connected and the friendships very much alive!

I have no answers on how our lives are going to change. There's no question; life is going to be different. Sheila and I haven't been out with friends for a few weeks. Just like you, we're hunkered down and doing our best to stay safe. But we're not willing to accept this is the new normal. The only way to keep the light bright at the end of the tunnel is to cherish where we've been and remember those days will come back.

So, I wish everybody a day of peace, good health, and appreciation for all your memories, especially the ones with photos attached! My suggestion for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs is still good with your "Q-mates," (people you're self-quarantined with.) And if you're a solo act, the next best things are Facetime and Skype - go for a cyber-hug. We will get through this.

by Skip Cohen

​It's anything but a typical Sunday morning - not just for me, for all of us. It's got nothing to do with photography, business, marketing, but the new way we now have to live. I'm trying to find a different way to look at the situation that's unfolding in front of us in a way that might be helpful. 

I was in a chapter of my "previous" life and in Mexico on vacation when 9/11 happened. We checked into our hotel on September 10 and watched the disaster unfold on the TV that morning.  We all thought everything changed that day. All of us became more aware of our surroundings. We became more vigilant in paying attention. And life changed - but back then, we knew who the enemy was, and we knew the principles of being an American would continue to be challenged.

Today, the world is trapped by a "terrorist" we can't see. We don't know it's even there until it formally announces itself. I'm not embarrassed to admit it scares the hell out of me. But there's another perspective to this, thanks to my college roommate. 

He's been involved in health research most of his life. As I was on the phone with him yesterday, whining about how the world's gone mad, he responded this is actually a good thing or better put an "important" thing. Why? Because there are viruses out there far more deadly, and if one of them "got loose," we wouldn't have the ability to deal with it. 

This simplifies the situation, but it's a severe wake-up call for the world. He went on to talk about the importance of social distance and referenced mistakes made with the Spanish flu in the 1900s. History shows that a complete lack of quarantines allowed the virus to go everywhere!

He added how we need to keep it spread out and stay away from geographical spikes because no community has the hospital beds to deal with it. That means we've all got to follow the appropriate guidelines that up until recently, I was rolling my eyes every time I heard another report.

Over the last two days, I've heard from dozens of friends who are watching their businesses dry up. For example, if you're a wedding and event photographer business has disappeared and won't be back for awhile.

Jared Burns, a good buddy and photographer from Seattle, described his life as being at "Ground Zero." But he also knows together we can find ideas to make the horrible situation more palatable. He had an idea, and we're doing an online Google hangout this Wednesday night. Click on the thumbnail to the right, if you've got an interest in joining us.

Here's my point - we're still part of an industry that's given society so much. And as I've said over the years, except for modern medicine, no group of people has given the world more.

​Well, right now, modern medicine has to do its thing to help us all survive. We've got no choice but to listen and protect ourselves as best we can. But this also puts a spotlight on the importance of those memories you, as imaging artists, have the ability to capture every day.

Regardless of what your specialty is in photography, the value of capturing a moment out of time has been enhanced over the last month. The rules of the game have changed, and it'll be a long time before any of us are attending large weddings, special events, and celebrations about life. But that also means those special moments deserve more than a selfie with an iPhone!

Engagement sessions now have even more meaning. Family groupings will be done at a park or in somebody's backyard instead of an hour before a big reception. The list goes on and on. The life of a photographer has changed, but as hard as it is to not be depressed - don't take your finger off the shutter button just yet!

More than any Sunday in the past, I'm wishing all of you a day of peace and time to cherish your family and friends. I know it's hard, but keep things in perspective, we'll come out of this disaster stronger and maybe even more focused on the quality of our lives we so often take for granted. And those long therapeutic hugs for the people you're closest to don't need to stop.

Happy Sunday everybody...stay healthy!


​PS Our son sent me an outstanding article with another perspective. Just click on the banner below.

by Skip Cohen

Well, had we remembered to turn our clocks ahead last night, it would be an almost normal Sunday morning. Still, typical of my Sunday posts, I'm about to go way off track from business and marketing, but I needed a little help from Melody Beattie.

I start every morning with her, in a never-ending quest to feed my head a little something before business kicks in. Her thoughts for yesterday really hit home...it was called "Peace." 

"Anxiety is often our first reaction to conflict, problems, or even our own fears. In those moments, detaching and getting peaceful may seem disloyal or apathetic. We think: If I really care, I'll worry; if this is really important to me, I must stay upset. We convince ourselves that outcomes will be positively affected by the amount of time we spend worrying."

Sound familiar? It sure did in my head. I'd have a problem I was trying to work on, and my worry-gene would kick in and send a gremlin off to undermine my creativity and solution-finding skills. I'd sabotage my own abilities, and in the process, give up peace. It took me a long time to realize I had the power NOT to worry.

I've written a lot about time being our most valuable commodity... well, maintaining peace in a world of chaos follows, right after you learn to savor time. We all worry about things completely outside our control. We give up peace and a smile in our hearts for stress, anxiety, and fear. 

If you follow me regularly, then you've heard me say, "You can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings, if your own heart isn't in it!" In the same respect, you'll never find peace on the outside if you don't find it on the inside first!

Melody closed with:

"Today, I will let go of my need to stay in turmoil. I will cultivate peace and trust that timely solutions and goodness will arise naturally and harmoniously out of the wellspring of peace..."

So, what have you got to lose? Stop worrying about what you have to do tomorrow. Stop letting the media and the outside world take away the peace you want in your own home. Stop being influenced by trolls in social media and go with what's in your heart. In other words - learn to kick back and chill!

For most of us, this is one of the scariest times in our history, and we'll all get through it, but there's no need to give up peace in the process. I'm not suggesting we ignore the outside world, just don't let it take away from the joy of what you've got in front of you right now!

Wishing everybody a day filled with peace and minimal anxiety. Appreciate everything you have, and don't give up time to things you can't control. Go for those long therapeutic hugs I always write about, but in the process of that hug, think about how much richer your life is because of the person on the other end of that hug.
​
Happy Sunday...or Monday for my friends and readers on the other side of the world.

Friends are the people who make you smile brighter, laugh louder and live better.
Unknown Author

by Skip Cohen

​While I'm off track on topics like marketing and business, today's Reflections hits on one of the best reasons to attend every possible conference and workshop you can work into your schedule - time with friends, both new and old.

I left a week ago for Las Vegas and the WPPI convention. Spending most of my time in the Platypod booth, it was a very different experience this year and jam-packed with meeting more photographers. (Note: If you haven't checked out Platyball.com, wander over to the campaign. Interest in this revolutionary new product was pretty amazing at WPPI. There are only two weeks left in the Kickstarter campaign.)

I usually get time to walk the show, but not this year. However, I still caught up with a lot of old friends and new ones, and along the way, there were plenty of selfies. Levi Sim, when asking me to step into one of the group shots, reminded me to practice what I preach with, "Come on Skip, I need pictures for my Throwback Thursdays in the future!"

This morning I was thinking about what to write for today's post, as I get back on schedule. It hit me that nothing beats the friendships we've all made and shared over the years. People outside photography don't realize just how small an industry we are, or the strength of so many bonds. We all watch each other's backs, provide feedback, and have worked on so many different projects and concepts.

So, whatever your schedule is for the rest of 2020, make the time to attend every possible convention and workshop you can get to. Take the time to connect with old friends, but keep bringing new ones into the mix! Share ideas, ask for help when you need it, and remember the only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask!

Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you!
Misty Copeland

Wishing everybody a day with family and the friends who mean the most to you. Go for those long therapeutic hugs and have some fun looking back on the relationship with whoever's on the other end of those hugs. And, as I've written a few dozen times over the last year alone - the best part of this industry has NOTHING to do with photography directly, but the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft!

Happy Sunday...or Monday on the other side of the world.

by Skip Cohen
​
When I wrote this, it was Sunday morning. As usual with "Reflections," I'm way off track from business and photography. Why more so than usual? Because I wrote this while packed into a Frontier flight to Las Vegas for WPPI, which was after getting up at 3:45 AM to drive to Tampa Airport. 
 
I may have been a little off-base and tired, but that doesn't mean I was without humor or sarcasm and a series of observations of the world around me in the early hours of the day.
 
SARCASM ALERT!

• What is it about jackasses on the road at 4:00 AM? The speed limit is 70. I set my cruise control at 74 and then just aimed the car north. Three times I'd pass slower drivers, never changing my speed, only to have them speed up, ride my tail, and then pass me. That would have been fine, but then they slowed down again.
• It was an early morning flight, but with Frontier, who had the first non-stop of the day to Las Vegas, it was pure chaos. This is the airline that charges you for everything, including your carry-on, but can't figure out how to do curbside check-in. The result was a line of fifty irritated flyers who looked at their watches every 45 seconds worrying about making their flights.
• It was too early to grab something to eat while I was still home. So, I figured I'd grab something at the airport - fine-dining at its best with everybody having the same idea. Because it took so long at Frontier to check my bag, time was minimal. I settled on a pre-made sandwich at the all-inclusive bookstore. As I chased it down with a Pepto-Bismol, I realized there were a couple of other places with breakfast that might have been better, but who thinks about Panda Express this early in the morning?
• This is my first Frontier flight in a long time – What happened to a tray table and enough room to move my arms? Oops forgot this was Frontier…a friend of mine said that if the Oxygen mask came down on a Frontier flight, you'd have to swap your credit card first to use it!
• The best part of the flight is the couple in the window and the middle seat next to me. They're happy…have a sense of humor, and I promised her a photo credit. So, just for a little artwork to add to the post, I asked her to grab this shot of my laptop and trying to type while being a human sardine!
• Last but not least, in this collection of hit-parade sarcasm...I figured out why they named it Frontier Airlines. It's because the seats are almost as comfortable as the wooden seat on a covered wagon as the settlers headed west to the new frontier in the 1800s.

 
Anyway, it's late in the day, and I'm finally checked in, and Sunday Morning Reflections is fact becoming an evening production.

Wishing all of you a day filled with as much sarcasm as you enjoy and plenty of humor. Remember, it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs I always write about and enjoy the evening or the morning on the other side of the world.

And, if you're at WPPI this week, come by Platypod, booth 1029 and say hello. We'll have working prototypes of the new Platyball, and it's always great to meet you guys on planet earth instead of in Cyberspace!

Happy Sunday!

by Skip Cohen

​Well, it's 7:00 am, and the Sunday routine is in full swing. The pups have been out to do their thing, Alexa's got music playing, and I'm stepping away from business and marketing to write about some aspect of my life. While there are some Sunday mornings where I have no idea what I want to write about, this morning was easy. The topic is aging.

This past Thursday, I celebrated fifty years in the photography industry. For a few weeks leading up to February 6, I wrestled with whether or not to celebrate or withdraw into seclusion! I even talked with several good friends about whether or not I should keep it quiet or put it right out there. The unanimous opinion was to celebrate and share what I've learned. Essentially, stop worrying about what people thought and run business as usual.

Except for creaking for ten minutes when I get up in the morning, I don't feel a day older than I did in my forties! I've got a few more scars, literally and figuratively, but there's no change in my passion for imaging and business. There's also no change in wanting to keep sharing ideas with you, so you can learn from my mistakes and make new ones of your own.

Thursday's celebratory post probably got the most significant response of anything I've ever written, and it's still going. Now and then somebody's shocked I've been around this long and even more surprised I still have something worth reading and talking about.

It's all about passion. "Passion" is probably the most abused word in any language, not only in imaging but in business, and in life. It's that one ingredient that if you've got it, you can do anything, and without it, you'll wander aimlessly. 

Passion is what keeps us focused on our goals, even when we don't seem to know what they are. It's what keeps us looking forward rather than spending too much time staring at the rearview mirror. It's also what sets the tone for virtually everything we do.

Somebody asked me what my "secret" was? There is no secret. Your level of passion is involved in every single thing you do and think about. What's wonderful about my journey has been how my passion for everything in my life keeps growing as I've gotten older. Nothing gets in the way for how much I love my life, Sheila, the pups, our friends, having a new camera in my hand, or writing this post this morning.

I know it's a trite way to wrap up a post, but I found a few quotes that say it better than I could ever write it: 

You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.
C.S. Lewis

Those who love deeply never grow old: They may die of old age, but they die young.
Benjamin Franklin

Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.
​Walt Disney

This past week somebody congratulated me and wrote: "Here's to the next fifty." It's a little overwhelming to actually consider I'm going to be around for another fifty. We all know it's not going to happen. However, I'm not going to slow down or stop doing things I love just because I'm older - so my point is wake up every morning with the same enthusiasm and passion you've had since you were a kid!  There's no reason to grow up because nothing is impossible!

Wishing everybody a terrific day ahead. Don't let anything or anybody stand in the way of your dreams. Age gracefully or with chaos - if you're passionate about your life, it won't make any difference. And, if lately, you've been off a beat trying to find the right direction on your internal compass, just remember, you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it.

Go for those eleven-second therapeutic hugs with the people most special on your life and make time today to think about your next goal or dream. Most important of all, never waste time worrying about growing up!

Happy Sunday!

If you want something you've never had, then you have to do something you've never done!
Thomas Jefferson

by Skip Cohen
 
Whether you consider Sunday the start of a new week or the last day of the previous week, I love this time because I've made it all mine. My routine gets a little challenged with the two pups, but there's time for me to kick back, think about the past week and recharge for what's coming Monday.

​A few weeks ago I wrote about comfort zones. I guess the topic is still on my mind, because I'm back on it today. It's so important to creating a richer life.

At a time when so many of my friends have slowed down, I love this business too much to give anything up. The busier I am, the more I love it. The more I realize how much there still is to learn outside my comfort zone, the more energy I seem to have to explore and navigate a new path.
 
There's that old saying with age comes wisdom. In all honesty, the best thing that comes with age is more experiences. I'm learning every time I think "been there done that," I'm often wrong. So, for me, those shots at gaining wisdom come from taking more risks, stepping outside my comfort zone and exploring something new.

I've written a lot about Platypod lately from a business standpoint, it's a perfect example. Outside my comfort zone, I was part of a team who launched a new Kickstarter campaign, 2 1/2 weeks ago, now at over 1250 backers and growing. My point is that it gave me a better understanding of business, marketing, reach, and social media. Plus, a new network of associates, all with different skillsets.

Then there are the puppies - while comfort zones at home are all about being comfortable - I'm fortunate in having a partner, Sheila, who helped me shatter our comfort zone. Now, three months later, we're putting it back together. The puppies are starting to figure it out.

Each podcast I've done with Chamira Young has introduced me to another artist or educator. Each guest has stepped a little outside their comfort zone by agreeing to share their story with all of us. From Suzette Allen talking about hope; to Gareth Rockliffe finding a similarity between spirituality and stepping out of "P" mode; to Ken Hubbard shooting everything from landscapes to portraits in Tamron Recipes each artist is known for taking risks - ALL of them often outside their comfort zone.

And here's my point - Comfort zones are easy places to hang out. There's short term security in knowing something really well and not taking risks. But, you've got to get out of your comfort zone to keep discovering your potential. You've got to expand your circle of friends, your experiences and then often dive into what you might think are scary waters.​

The sooner you step away from your comfort zone, you'll realize it really wasn't all that comfortable.
Eddie Harris Jr.

​As photographers, you're surrounded by opportunities to do something different. Whether it's a class on something you've never done at an upcoming conference or exploring a new aspect of marketing and social media, take the time to think about everything you're doing now. You've got a never-ending choice of paths to follow, explore, and grow.

I hate it when I can't decide which quote to share, but here's one more:

We have to be honest about what we want and take risks,
rather than lie to ourselves and make excuses to stay in our comfort zone.
Roy T. Bennett

​Wishing everybody time to appreciate your comfort zone with family and friends, and then look at ways to step outside that zone and grow even more! Those eleven-second therapeutic hugs should go to those people you love the most and are closest to because they're always with you in and out of the zone!

​Happy Sunday, everybody!

by Skip Cohen
​
​This is a hard Sunday Morning Reflections to write. The topic isn't difficult; just the message I want to share without sounding like an infomercial. If you've followed me for even the shortest amount of time, you know I don't shy away from much of anything - so, here goes...

I'm at IUSA and will be working in the Platypod booth this week. Every show I attend is usually about networking and building relationships for whatever my next project might be. It's about maintaining my relevance after a lifetime in this industry. However, this is the first time in years, I've actually worked a booth to help sell products and great concepts. 

Three and half days ago Platypod launched their Kickstarter campaign for a new ball head and has already carved out their own little piece of photography history. We're approaching a thousand backers, and the response from photographers has been incredible. I don't want to talk about the product, but the team that put it together and the passion behind its growing success.

There's an old African proverb I've shared a few times over the years:

"We are not a team because we work together. We are a team because we trust,
​respect and care for each other."
Vala Afshar

I'm sharing the project video below, not as a pitch to you, but as a demonstration of what can happen when a group of people focuses on the same goal and become a team. While it was "Dr. T's" script, there were a half dozen people who helped write it; a talented filmmaker and his team who like a great chef turned it into reality, and then dozens of people, including, Scott Kelby and his team who helped launch it to the public. In every aspect, it's the result of a group effort.

And here's my point: 

Each of you have dreams of success - things you want to do in your life. At times those dreams get buried under the baggage of stress from a variety of sources - changing priorities, a growing family, finances, developing your skillset, and the list goes on and on. Before you know it, those dreams have been pushed out of sight, put in a shoebox, and kicked under the bed. Right now, they're sitting in that same box with old photographs and your notes from a workshop you might have taken years ago.

Well, it's time to bring out that box and take some time to dust off those dreams. You don't have to do it alone. Share those goals with your family; bring in some friends to help, and lay out a map to bring them closer to reality. Don't let anything stand in your way, and like Larry and his wife, Mina - be willing to risk whatever it takes to turn those dreams into reality!

As always, I wish everybody a terrific Sunday, and I hope you'll take the time today and dust off any of those dreams you've let slip to the back-burner. Take a little time to think about the team you might need to help with your quest, and that includes shutting down the little voice inside you that challenges your self-confidence from time to time. 

Go for those long therapeutic hugs with the people you care most about - always remembering they're a part of your team. Without them, whatever dreams you have can never become a reality!

Happy Sunday, everybody, and thanks for being part of my team. It's seven years ago today, with your help, I started SCU. Without you, this would be such a tedious business and a life that could put a rock to sleep! It's all of you who help make it exciting and ever-changing. And, if you're at IUSA this weekend, come by booth 157 and laugh at me as I try and act like I know what I'm doing!

It's Sunday, and if you've followed me for even a short amount of time, then you know I ALWAYS go off track from photography. I started doing this years ago, just for my sanity. It was therapeutic to write about something outside the topic of business.

Well, this morning is the new typical Sunday. It starts with the "kids" getting up early. The kids are two puppies, Lucy and Belle. They're a stitch to have in our lives, but we'd both forgotten the work that goes into a puppy. Double that when it's two! 

Right now, Lucy's at my feet playing with an antler bone, now a squeaky toy, now a ball, back to the squeaky toy, now she wants my camera strap...are all puppies A.D.D.? LOL

In spite of the distractions this morning, I know exactly what I want to write about. My good buddy Nick Vedros sent me the quote below on Friday. I knew immediately it would become the foundation for this morning's post!

"You're a kid, your whole life is awesome. It's awesome right? You had no money, no ID, no cell phone,
no nothing, no keys to the house. You just ran outside into the woods. You weren't scared of nothing.
I challenge you to do that as an adult. All your IDs, all your credit cards - just run out of the house
with no phone, turn the corner where you can't see your house, and not have a full on panic attack."
Bill Burr

​I'm not sure if this is going to be more of a rant or a topic for Throwback Thursday, but what happened to those days?

When I was a kid, my Mom often worked in the afternoons, helping my Dad in his business. I came home to an empty house, made it look like I did my homework, and then went out to play with friends. In the wintertime, I would be walking home in the dark, and by 6:00 pm, she'd be back. I was never afraid, had no ID, just a kid in the neighborhood, and we were all pretty much in similar situations.

I know you can never go back, but the smile on my face right now, thinking back to those days would be contagious if you were here. We had it so easy in comparison to kids today. Even as adults, it was easier. 

No cell phones, no computers, three TV stations, and plenty of time to read, relax, and reflect. The TV shows ended at midnight, and what would be politically incorrect today, the test pattern above came on the screen as the station went off the air. Stores were never open on Sunday, not even gas stations. There were no ATMs, no drive-throughs - just time to spend with family. And on a Sunday like today, we'd be headed over to my grandmother's for Sunday dinner.  

So, while we can't turn back the clock, when it comes to Sundays in our house, Sheila and I are doing our best to spend the day with each other and the pups. We'll take a walk later and pretty much have a low-tech day, watch a movie and appreciate time together and being as low tech as we can go. I'll do my best to shut down my computer after this post and check in later in the day, but that will be it.

I know we can't stop time, but I sure do miss those days as a kid, when like so many of you, I was in a hurry to grow up!

Wishing everybody a terrific day and time to slow things down in your life. Take the time to savor the moment...right now...because the present is only sure thing you've got. Hug the people most special in your life. If you want to have some fun, take your own walk down Memory Lane. And while I don't ask for comments often, it would be great if a few of you would share what life was like when you were a kid!

Happy Sunday! Making it a great day only requires you to focus on what's most important in your life. You know how to use selective focus with your camera - now do it with your heart!