Reflections from the Journey

Not long ago I was much like most Americans fueling up my vehicles with gasoline, taking my kids to the fast food drive-thru’s,  buying my food at the grocery store, spray fertilizing & weeding my lawn, etc. without much of a second thought.  I did want to conserve energy a bit (& save $$$ a lot!) so I grew a few tomatoes & cucumbers in the summer, kept the thermostat set cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer, watched the “green” shows on HGTV, went hiking and photographing in the woods, fed the birds (& squirrels!) in my yard, I joined the National Wildlife Federation.  Heck, I was even using CFL’s in many of my lamps!  I was “going green” like most folks.  I was no “tree huggin’ environmental wacko,” but I was doing my part.

Now, I’m not saying that any of those things I did to “go green” was wrong, in fact I encourage people to do them.  Please don’t think that I am standing up on some pedestal or sitting up on a “high horse” looking down on anyone.  What I am is a person on a journey that just may be a little bit further along the trail than many, but still lagging behind many others.  I’m here to offer what little guidance and insight I can to what lies ahead if you decide to undertake a similar journey.

Though I would say that God has been preparing the trail for me throughout my life , we can take a look at where I began to tread this particular section of trail:

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So last night I got you up to speed a bit on what has happened since I 1st told you about the vision/mission  God has given me.  I realized as I was composing that post that I really haven’t given a very clear picture of my vision.  That is what I hope to rectify now.

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Well, it’s been a little over 8 months since I wrote about my dream for the future so I thought I would post an update on what’s been going on.

While I have been learning a LOT, the whole process feels like taking baby steps.  You know the shaky, unsure, off balance kind of steps I’m talking about.  They are cute and part of the learning process, but they don’t cover much distance.   Here is a sampling of some of the baby steps I (along with my family) have taken:

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I am 40-years-old. There, I’ve said it.  It is on the Internets now so it must be true.  Now, if you are reading this and suddenly scrambling to send me a birthday card or present please note that it has been a few months since the auspicious anniversary of my birth.  (If it helps you feel a bit less guilty about not sending something then, by all means, feel free to do so now.  I certainly don’t want to burden you with guilt.)

The funny thing is I really don’t feel like I thought I would.   After all 40 is O-L-D.  I don’t feel old.  I don’t even think I look all that old.

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A picture may tell a 1,000 words but it still never tells the whole story.  I’m going to take you on a journey back through the lens and out the viewfinder to tell you the story of the making of the image.

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Yesterday and today I have been printing some photos onto some beautiful 100% cotton canvas and then stretching them onto wooden frames (a.k.a. gallery wrapped).  It is a pretty time consuming process that has my fingers aching, but it is soooooo  worth it.  I like the way they look much more than when framed under glass.   There is something about a photograph on canvas that really makes it special.

As I took a break to drink a tasty cup of Organic, Fair Trade coffee I thought about why I prefer gallery wrapped canvas prints over framed prints.   Not surprisingly the realization that I came to spilled over into thoughts of religion and faith as well.  If you have read any of my previous posts you no doubt have seen that EVERYTHING about my life and my photography is bound up in faith and this is what I call my Journey.

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Lately I have felt like a person from a cartoon that has a little storm cloud following me around above my head.   Occasionally,  I’ll run and try to lose the little sucker, but it always seems to find me.   There are a lot of reasons I could think of for that cloud to be around, and while those reasons  seem quite small and inconsequential I still found the cloud hovering above me.

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Getting up early and going to bed late caught up with me.  I had wanted to get up early to get more sunrise image but I woke up with a splitting headache.  I couldn’t seem to shake it even after going back to sleep for an hour.  I almost packed everything up and head home, but I new that I should go out and shoot here while I could.  Headache or not I was in the mountains and that is better than being in Charlotte.

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After getting back to my camp at Roan Mt. State Park in TN, cooked myself a VERY tasty omelette and tried to decide on where to shoot next.  The combination of my early rising, hiking with a 30-ish pound pack, and full belly, however, made me quite sleepy so I opted to take a nap before making any decisions.  Yep, that’s just what I needed, a nice relaxing nap.

Ever try taking a nap in a campground in the middle of the day?

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Not so long ago I thought I knew it all.  In fact one of my favorite sayings was, “Those of you who think you know everything are annoying those of us who do.”  I also thought I was the greatest nature photographer since William Neil.  I may not have been published as much or sold as many prints as “those other photographers”, but I certainly took better photos.  “Once I catch a break,” I thought, “I’ll be rich and famous.  Everyone will know who I am.”

Do you know what God does to the proud?

DING! DING!  That’s right!  God humbles the proud.

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