Savoring Time and Memories

The view from Georgia O'keefe's window in New Mexico. LUMIX G9 with 14-140mm lens

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Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
​Dr. Seuss

It's Sunday morning, and I couldn't be more off-base from the marketing and business of photography. In fact, for a few minutes, I thought about breaking my Sunday habit and not posting - that's when I realized that was the topic all in itself.

Ever sit and ask yourself, "Why?"  Ironically, I have a series of the same name. It features 121 artists and their favorite images over the years, but I'm not talking about photography, but various aspects of my life. I guess it started with one of the Pinterest emails that was loaded with poems about losing a pet...well that sent me into a tailspin, missing Molly the Wonder Dog.

Then, when I checked into Facebook, there was a post from my pal Melissa Albert about missing a friend she'd lost who was like family. Well, that got me thinking about Don Blair, Dean Collins and Bengt Forssbaeck (VP at Hasselblad in Sweden.)  One step further and my folks jumped in, especially my Dad. I found myself telling him about some of the bizarre politics in this industry as I continue to fine-tune my presentations for the upcoming ClickCon show in Chicago. He was a one-man band in commercial real estate and used to be fascinated by the stories I shared about so many of the characters in our industry.

Why were all these personalities on my mind? Why do I do what I do? Why is life at times so bittersweet? Why do I feel compelled to write every Sunday morning, which has so little to do with my core business? 

The answer isn't particularly witty or astute, it borders on cheesy and even trite, but it's who I believe we all are and it's summed up in a line I've used dozens of times...

I am a part of all that I have met.
From Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

​My "why" simply gets answered with "because." Everyone who passes through our life regardless of how long they stay becomes a part of us. They become an ingredient to who we are, why we do the things we do, and why time is so special. Looking back over the years, I find myself wishing I'd savored so many friendships just a little longer. 

At the same time, it's the legacy all those no longer with us have left us - our ability for them to live on through our memories, the stories we share and the lessons we learned. It's the gleam in my eye when I tell a story about something crazy that Big Daddy and I did once, or describing Molly's never-ending quest to catch tennis balls, or my Dad's smile when eating a ten-dollar plate of onion rings!

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Click to link to the podcast

 ​And there's my point - learn to savor your time with everyone who shares your journey. We did a great podcast with Jen Rozenbaum last year, and she talked about how she wanted to run her life in reverse so that she could look back with no regrets. I can't do her explanation justice, but it's a podcast worth listening to.

Wishing everybody a terrific day ahead and time to appreciate not only the people you're with but those you miss. That heartache when you think about them is simply the power of the memories you have, and there's no better way to respect the love you have for them than to take a walk down Memory Lane. Always go for those eleven-second hugs with those you love and as always, thanks for being here this morning!

​Happy Sunday or Monday if you're on the other side of the world.

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