Restoring a lost habit

Life with my closest friend changed about a year ago. He and I would eat lunch together nearly every day of the week. His office was close to mine, and we could easily meet at one of the local restaurants. Then the pandemic changed our plans. He started working from home along with much of the rest of the country. Since his home is about a 30-minute drive from my office, meeting for lunch was not an everyday option anymore. It is funny how some of the most stressful aspects of this past year have been the little day-to-day habits we all had to change. Recently, I decided to take a drive out to his home and pay him a visit. He loves to boast about easy country living and I felt the need for some easy living. So, I packed up my camera and made the 30-minute drive to his home.

We exchanged our typical booth at Primos restaurant for a ride in a side by side in the country. Our time with each other at lunch was never about the food anyway. We just enjoyed discussing life and solving the world’s problems. We have all the answers by the way. This week things have started a slow return to normal. He is back at his office twice a week and the texts “What’s for lunch?” have started again. I figure we should have a solution to the current world problems soon. The only one we struggle with is how to eat fried chicken and strawberry cake without gaining weight. We are working on that one. However, it does get real quiet at our table when the fried chicken arrives. Oh well, you can’t expect us to have an answer for everything.

This means so much to a photographer

Many of the children I photograph feel like an extended family to me. This is especially true of the Mehrle family. I’ve had the good fortune to photograph Kerk and Liz Mehrle’s children for many years now. Their home was recently featured in The Northside Sun edition of Beautiful Homes and Gardens. Liz is a talented artist and has a great appreciation for the work of other artists. This is clearly evident by the decor of their home. In addition to the collection of art, there are two walls of black and white photographs that I have taken over the years. Liz commented in the Northside Sun article that these walls contain her favorite collection of artwork in her home. I would love to think that she loves this work because of my photography skills, but I understand that she loves these photographs because they represent her family. Kerk and Liz value family and these walls are a snapshot of their time together. It has been such an honor to be a participant in documenting their life.

I have watched Pryor, their oldest child, go from elementary school to a senior in high school. We recently added her senior pictures to the list of photography sessions I have done for the family. My fondest memory of Pryor was during a session on some hunting land several years ago. Pryor was given the task of driving me around the land to scout out photography locations. It gave me the chance to get to know her a little better as we rode around the countryside. She was humble, sweet and a pleasure to be around. I know how proud her parents are of her and they have good reason to feel that way. I want to say thank you to the Mehrles and all the families that have allowed me to play a part in documenting their lives. It touches my heart when I hear that photographs I have taken are cherished by someone. Thank you all.

Sheltering from the storm

When I was a young boy, nothing made me happier than to go fishing or hunting with my dad. However, there was one time when a fishing trip with my dad didn’t turn out to be all that fun. Looking back, however, the trip was a life lesson that is coming in handy these days. We had taken an aluminum boat out on the Ross Barnett reservoir with the hopes of catching some fish. The boat was equipped with a small outboard motor which made moving around the big lake possible although fairly slow. That is until it decided to quit working properly in the middle of the lake. For some reason, my dad could only get the motor to go into reverse. That wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that a major storm was heading in our direction. We began to make our way back to the boat ramp (in reverse) until it became apparent that we could not make it before the storm hit. We could, however, make it to the Highway 43 bridge in time. The decision was made to shelter in place under the bridge.

Shortly after we made it to the bridge, so did the storm. It was worse than expected and as a young boy, I was scared to death. Waves were crashing over the side of the boat and the water began to fill the boat. I lowered my head and began to pray silently. My dad looked back at me and said, “How are you doing?”. I nervously said, “ I’m fine”. I didn’t want him to know that I was afraid. He smiled and just continued to hold the boat steady. It was clear that he and I did not share the same concerns about our situation. This was my first lesson from that day. Don’t worry, just trust your father. I was about to learn my second lesson. The storm was beginning to weaken and it came time to head back to shore. Keep in mind this was before you could simply check the weather on your phone. We weren’t completely sure that the storm was over. But, at some point, you just have to go for it and have faith that your father will get you home.

These past weeks of sheltering in place reminded me a little of my time under that bridge. My dad passed away many years ago and is not around to hold the boat steady anymore. However, I place my confidence in another Father that has always been there for me. The one I prayed to on that day. I am certain that just like my dad, He understands my concerns, but doesn’t share them. As it approaches the time to stop sheltering in place and slowly return to life, I’m pretty sure that life will repeat itself. Just like before, I will say a prayer for this to be over. I will tell you I am fine even when that is not entirely true. But, ultimately, I will trust my Father to get me home.