While sitting shiva after my Grandma Doris's funeral, my mother finally asked my grandfather a question that had been plaguing her since she was a child. After all, she has three older bothers, the youngest of whom is seven years her senior.
"Dad, was I an accident?"
"No - your mother planned you."
"Well...how about you?"
"Me? I was drunk."
Poppy Harold had many gems in his day - some slightly racist (merely a product of the times, I'm sure), and others as direct and straightforward as, "That son of a bitch rat bastard stole my laundry." Yet of all quips, puns and sayings, the one that stuck with me the most was one I didn't hear until just yesterday. My uncle vividly recalled sitting at the kitchen table as a child, stressing out over a major exam he had the next day. Poppy Harold, simply turned to him and said, "Just do the best you can do: that's all anyone can ever ask of you."
On Sunday, my grandfather, Harold Hills, passed away.
The man was 91 years old, and lived one hell of a life - perhaps even two! On what we presumed to be his death bed, we told him he could have whatever he wanted to eat: anything at all.
"Moo shu shrimp and hot and sour soup with lots of spicy mustard."
...AND THE MAN LIVED FOR ANOTHER MONTH!
Lately, I feel as though I haven't always been putting my best foot forward: slacking on posting regularly, not responding to emails in a timely manner, and becoming lazier with my photographs. People become busy, tired, social. Life gets in the way.
But I refuse to accept that as an excuse any longer. Yesterday, I finally took an active role in changing all of that. I had the opportunity to shoot with one of my favorite photographers, Sonya Yu, as she taught me invaluable tips and tricks of the trade. She taught be to become more cognizant of my surroundings, and how to look at subjects differently through the lens of a camera. She taught me about the importance of light, and how to recognize its power, its presence, and its beauty. She taught me shoot, and shoot, and shoot some more, to be comfortable with failure, and to use it as a learning opportunity for the next reel.
"Dad, was I an accident?"
"No - your mother planned you."
"Well...how about you?"
"Me? I was drunk."
Poppy Harold had many gems in his day - some slightly racist (merely a product of the times, I'm sure), and others as direct and straightforward as, "That son of a bitch rat bastard stole my laundry." Yet of all quips, puns and sayings, the one that stuck with me the most was one I didn't hear until just yesterday. My uncle vividly recalled sitting at the kitchen table as a child, stressing out over a major exam he had the next day. Poppy Harold, simply turned to him and said, "Just do the best you can do: that's all anyone can ever ask of you."
On Sunday, my grandfather, Harold Hills, passed away.
The man was 91 years old, and lived one hell of a life - perhaps even two! On what we presumed to be his death bed, we told him he could have whatever he wanted to eat: anything at all.
"Moo shu shrimp and hot and sour soup with lots of spicy mustard."
...AND THE MAN LIVED FOR ANOTHER MONTH!
Lately, I feel as though I haven't always been putting my best foot forward: slacking on posting regularly, not responding to emails in a timely manner, and becoming lazier with my photographs. People become busy, tired, social. Life gets in the way.
But I refuse to accept that as an excuse any longer. Yesterday, I finally took an active role in changing all of that. I had the opportunity to shoot with one of my favorite photographers, Sonya Yu, as she taught me invaluable tips and tricks of the trade. She taught be to become more cognizant of my surroundings, and how to look at subjects differently through the lens of a camera. She taught me about the importance of light, and how to recognize its power, its presence, and its beauty. She taught me shoot, and shoot, and shoot some more, to be comfortable with failure, and to use it as a learning opportunity for the next reel.
So, this is my pledge: my resolution to be better, to try harder and to work my ass off every single day. The only variable in the equation of life over which we have control is our level of effort: beyond that, we are at the mercy of a million other factors. I'll almost certainly fail, and I may even succeed, but when I am positive that I've given 110%, the outcome is out of my hands and I've done all that I can do.
After all, that's all anyone can ever ask of you.
Nosh on,
Josh
After all, that's all anyone can ever ask of you.
Nosh on,
Josh
