Star. Power.

“'Cause when you're a celebrity

It's adios reality

You can act just like a fool

People think you're cool

Just 'cause you're on TV

I can throw a major fit

When my latte isn't just how I like it

When they say I've gone insane

I'll blame it on the fame

And the pressures that go with

Being a celebrity.”

We live in a society where being famous places you above the crowd of individuals who are pretty much in the sea of average folks. It doesn’t matter who they are, you know they have done something different---such as star in a motion picture--and suddenly they are elevated to a different status. Often times their egos travel upward too.

However, not always.

Last night, when I got home, I was informed we were going to our local library for an ice cream social and the chance to meet someone famous. I thought, “Famous at our local library? Who could it be?” A writer, a local politician, or someone who I would have no idea or interest in meeting? I am happy to report---I was wrong.

Upon arriving at the library, the first thing I noticed was a crowd of people where I have never seen a crowd before. I thought, “Wow, maybe I am mistaken and yes, Salena Gomez was actually here in Glen Ellyn.” My kids thought for sure it was going to be her and Justin Bieber mingling with the kids who were there to meet a “celebrity.” Thankfully they were elsewhere and not in Glen Ellyn, IL.

About 20 minutes after arriving, with paint on their faces and push-up pops in their hands, my daughters and I ventured up a small hill to see a young girl signing movie posters. Yes, she was an actress (actually the lead) in a movie that is scheduled for release on June 29^th in select cities around the country and on-demand June 15^th--- her name is Rylie Behr.  It’s called “I Heart Shakey.”(Heart as in a heart shape.)

What impressed me about Rylie was her smile and eagerness to listen to kids who immediately felt like they were amongst royalty. She is 12 years old, looks younger, but has the charisma and personality of someone well beyond her years.. (If you are reading this Rylie, you have plenty of time to grow up—just take your time and enjoy the ride.)

I spoke with both the producer and Rylie’s Mom and learned she was discovered in a mall; you might be thinking, “Which one in Los Angeles, New York or Chicago?” How about the mall in Des Moines, Iowa. Been there? I have been to Iowa no less than 100 times; my Dad was born in a town about 40 miles from Des Moines.

What I liked about Rylie most---she seemed to understand she is very fortunate to be in this position. She is grounded…not the grounding from being bad...but “grounded” in a way that when she goes back to school, she will be a normal kid again. Pretty cool.

In a previous career I worked in entertainment marketing and the stories told about celebrities ranged from, “You have got to be kidding to you can’t be serious.” I am sorry to say, they were not kidding and they were serious.

My favorite story—it’s true---involved a Disney teen star; her contract was run through a large talent agency and her father was her manager. That can be the worst thing to happen to a child, their parents  go from novices to experts when they hear one word---“income.” This individual was willing to “settle” for $500,000 to perform a 1-day shoot. In other words, she was making more money than the average American makes in 15 years all in one day. Not bad for a 15 year old, right?

Her Dad thought she was worth more. She is after all…his daughter. He said, “Last night I re-thought the contract and I think she is really worth $750,000.” She got it.

So how is she doing? Let’s just say you may have read about her and her star has tarnished greatly.

Unless I am mistaken, I suspect Rylie will not end up in the same situation; her Mom is with her as she travels, she is being well taken care of in a crazy world that tends to not take care of you. She just seems different---I think it’s her Iowa roots and having someone who is showing her the way

The photo above was taken with my daughter Sophie. My other daughter was taking pictures using a film camera, however when it came time for Sophie’s turn, the film had been used up. That did not set well with a 7-year old. So, out came the iphone, Rylie stepped out from behind her table, put her arm around Sophie, smiled and the rest as they say will be Sophie’s story of the time she met a movie star.

Thanks for stopping by.

Determined.

“Well, you’re not suppose
 to say the word “cancer” 
in a song.

And tellin’ folks that Jesus is the answer,


Can rub ‘em wrong.


It ain’t hip to sing about


Tractors, trucks, little towns or mama,

Yeah, that might be true.


But this is country music,


And we do.”

When it comes to cancer, there really is very little that’s positive to write about---except for those who are determined to do something about it. I really admire those who take a stand and creatively look for solutions to get the message out. This past weekend was a perfect example of how a cause can bring out the best in people.

We live on a fairly long street; divided by cross streets, they separate one “small” neighborhood from another. 

Every summer, once the snow goes and cold weather takes a long needed break, there will be individual block parties where neighbors, who have been virtually in hibernation since fall, come out of the woodwork to re-connect.

We comment about how the kids have grown, what has happened in their lives and neighborhood issues that make the time fly by. Then we go home and promise to get together before fall. I suspect you know what happens from that point on.

This past Sunday, we had one “small neighborhood” reach over into another and invite us to their block party; there is nothing snooty about not having one block join another, it just sort of happens that way.

But something happened that changed the dynamic of the street on Sunday; lined with large trees, the street turned into a sea of pink. Pink ribbons wrapped around trees, pink flowers placed in flower pots, and pink luminaries lighting the way creating a magical path with the objective of curing cancer. If you have read “Snap. Shot.” for any period of time, you know cancer (I will not capitalize this horrific disease) is something that’s near and dear to me. It was three years ago at this time when I watched my Mom—from afar---fight for her life as she battled brain cancer. She lost.

I really didn’t know much about what was going on when I saw the ribbons being wrapped around the trees. It was later that evening I learned one of our neighbors was very actively involve in a fight against breast cancer. She does not have it, it was in honor of her mother who has battled the disease and now has seen this disease spread to her pancreas.

What I learned was really impressive about Lynda’s (my neighbor down the street) determination; along with friends she organized a group called---you ready for this?

“ The Titsy Chicks.”

Lynda and her group sold shirts and other items at the block party---my youngest wanted a t-shirt and I was very proud she was wearing it yesterday. Adults pay attention to kids outfits, I am hoping Sophie (my daughter) will be a pro-active billboard spreading the word about the need to fight.

The photo above was taken at the block party; Lynda had been taking photos with her point and shoot camera and it was not in the mood to cooperate. My wife Susan was talking with her and walked home to get the trusty Nikon. She not only captured the essence of the luminaries, but hopefully through “Snap. Shot.” visually spread the word of the fight that everyone needs to be involved in until “cancer” is just an astrological sign and a disease we have conquered.

Thanks for stopping by.

Listener.

"Fallin' right into your hands, like rain on the desert sand
It's the last thing you had planned then out of the blue clear sky."

When the NBA came out with its slogan a while back, “I love this game,” most people that I know said, “Seriously?” It seemed a lot of people loved to barrage the game, instead of declaring any form of “love” to what was perceived as a gang thugs who were overpaid, egomaniacs, and at best had little to give back to the fans who remained.

This past fall, when the NBA was scheduled to start again, it was delayed due to a lockout and similar thoughts were present; many didn’t miss it, care, or even remember it was not happening. I did, and I was very happy when they agreed to come back.

Sure some of it is selfish, I love the NBA. Plus I suspected if many people were on the sidelines, getting tickets would be a lot easier and less expensive---I was partially right. I went to the game in Milwaukee when the Bulls played the Bucks, and paid a ridiculously low price for an incredible seat. That seat, should it have been in Chicago at the end of the season, would have been 10 times the cost. That’s crazy.

So that’s where we are today…let’s take a step back in time.

About 4 years ago, the city of Seattle was well aware their NBA franchise was going to be leaving town. The team’s fan base was not happy, but when the decision is made, there really is little that can be done. But taking the team to Oklahoma City, are you kidding me? No, and the rest is history.

One of the players to make the journey was a “kid” named Kevin Durant. A top draft pick who spent a year in college, and was not the top pick in the NBA draft---but then again, either was Michael Jordan when he was selected out of North Carolina. The biggest difference with Kevin Durant--- and the rest of the “perceived thugs” in the NBA was---he was really proud to be in the league. He knew his good fortune was in deed his “good fortune.”

Not a lot of people knew of Durant, in comparison with Greg Oden that years top draft pick. Who? Exactly. Here was a phenomena coming out of Ohio State that was the sure thing, the bet of all bets---now 5 years later, he is retired having played less than a full season of games. He is noted as the biggest bust ever in the NBA.

I saw Durant play his rookie year and it was painfully obvious he did not receive the memo about being a jerk, self-centered, or sure he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. As a photographer, especially in sports, you try to capture the moment; not necessarily the moment when they have the ball or puck, but when there is a personal interaction that makes them human. Durant showed it numerous times during the game---he was attentive to what his coach was saying to him. Not with his head down or looking away from him, he listened and showed respect. I know it sounds like a fairy tale, it's the truth.

So…

The photo above was taken at the Indiana Pacers versus Seattle Supersonics in 2008. Kevin Durant is standing next to P.J. Carlesimo; you can see who had the attitude. One is now the NBA scoring leader and is going to the NBA finals (one of the youngest to ever carry a team to the position he is in)---the other is on the sidelines and out of the league.

If it were not for the Bull's being out of the playoffs---go Thunder!

Thanks for stopping by.

The Cards.

"We like beer flat as can be


We like our dogs with mustard and relish


We got a great pitcher what's his name


Well, we can't even spell it


We don't worry about the pennant much


We just like to see the boys hit it deep


There's nothing like the view from the cheap seats.”

Traveling into St. Louis, right after you cross the Mississippi River on Highway 40, you cannot help but notice two structures. One is the Arch, which stands 630 feet above the ground; the other is Busch Memorial Stadium---for Cardinal fans it towers above any building or structure in the anywhere in America.

Since coming into this world, I have been to three stadiums that were home to the Cardinals. One I barely remember, one I remember being built and now is torn down, and the new field is where future memories and photographs will happen. I have been to one game since it was built, it was several years ago when my Dad and I sat in centerfield and watched the Cardinals play the Colorado Rockies.

There is something about baseball season, and specifically the St. Louis Cardinals, that brings the city together; sure not everyone is a fan, but if you notice the amount of red shirts, caps and other merchandise, this town is nuts about the Cardinals.

Growing up we treasured the Cardinals. The games were watched on TV, listened to on transistor radios, and front-page news in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When the Cardinals won the 1967 World Series, it was the first one I really remember, people talked about it until the next year’s World Series when again, they were back trying to do it all once more. They didn’t win it; it was devastating to the city and especially a 10 year old boy who was crushed by their losing.

A number of years ago I went to a baseball card show and saw 3 cards I knew I had to have. One was of Lou Brock, Curt Flood, and my very favorite player, Joe Torre. I am sure I have the cards somewhere, I just don’t know where. This time it’s not my Mom’s fault they are lost, it’s mine.

The photo above was taken last weekend when I wrote about the cemetery where my Mom, Aunt and Uncle are now living. As I walked up I noticed what I thought was a home plate placed next to a stone. Sure enough it had the logo of the famous St. Louis Cardinal on it. I had to smile and I had to think of a metaphor to describe it…to me, and I assume to the family, it signified no matter where you end up, you are always “safe at home.”

Thanks for stopping by.

The Road.

“Walkin' down a lonely highway not feelin' alone,

Thinkin' back when things went my way and not the road I'm on.

Well, I've been down a time or two, but it never lasts long

I can always make it through on a wing and a prayer and a song

Ain't it funny how a melody can bring back a memory

Take you to another place in time

Completely change your state of mind.”

Last night, as I sat in a darkened movie theater, I was transcended into the past. It’s what movies are so good at doing, and when the credits roll, you have either a choice of leaving your memories on the floor along with the sticky soda and popcorn or take them with you as a reminder of the two hours you just spent engaged in a moment of time.

Recently I have been taken back in time through e-mails and phone conversations from people I knew in my past. I guess since they have now entered current times, they are no longer just of my past---they are back. I could not be happier.

I have heard from an old neighbor of mine. We grew up together. She lived right behind my home and for hours and hours as kids, we spent time hanging out. She was much cooler than I was; she was very kind to let me into her life. As we spoke the other day, I suspect she was happy to be on the other end of the line, I was really happy to talk with her. It was cut short; I had work to get back to work. But I am sure the nearly 40 years since our last conversation will be much shorter this time.

Then out of the blue I received an e-mail from a fraternity brother who I had not corresponded with for many years; he was probably the only guy I knew who was a White Jewish male who deeply wished he had been born in Louisville, Kentucky during the early 1940s. He knows what I am talking about---we have traded very long e-mails since Thursday. I am very happy he initiated the first mass e-mail to many of us--he is truly what a fraternity brother is meant to be.

The final person is someone who planted a seed in my life. I won’t go into specifics, but they know who they are, and no this is nothing I am concerned about writing about this individual---it’s just that on a personal level, it takes me back to a time that set the tone for who I would become. I will leave it at that.

As I walked out of the theater, I knew I saw this movie for a reason; like millions of people in this world, the ball spins one direction whereas it could have spun another. I love to go back in time, and let my memories take over, but I also know that we live in a world that has changed and we have changed with it.

The photo above was taken recently in Chicago; squeezed in between 2 large buildings is a building getting a rehab. In many respects it reminds me of how throughout time, we see so much change, but when it’s all said and done, we have not really changed at all. We may look different on the outside, but we are the same as we were so many years ago.

For those special people who have come back into my life---thank you.

And…

Thanks for stopping by.

The sound track of our lives.

“Last dance

Last dance for love

Yes, it's my last chance

For romance tonight

I need you by me

Beside me, to guide me

To hold me, to scold me

'Cause when I'm bad

I'm so, so bad.”

I have written about music a lot in “Snap.Shot.” For me, and I assume for many, it defines who we are; although music is mass, it also is very personal on so many levels. As individuals our experiences are not relevant to all---but when words and music come together, it’s amazing how it can transcend to so many.

Words hit us in so many different ways---I think that’s probably why it would be virtually impossible for 2 people to have the exact same song on their iPods. (Yes, I have actually thought about those odds.)

Recently we have lost some of the most notable singers from when I was growing up; it only figures it would come in threes as it seems most prominent deaths happen that way. When we lost Whitney Houston I was very surprised. Yes she had ventured into a very dark world, but I actually had thought (naively) that she had turned the corner. I was wrong. She had a voice, looks, and a talent that were beyond that of the normal star. She was not a normal star.

Although not in order of passing, then came Robin Gibb---perhaps better know as a “Bee Gee” there is little doubt Saturday Night Fever was a movie that not only captured the times, it sent the tone of the decade. I loved the harmonies of the Bee Gees---and although dated as I have listened to some of their music, it was break through.

But the individual I listened to most was Donna Summer. She brings back the memories of 8-track players (yes I had one and I had her live album on it) dancing in discos, and the voice that was as pure as pure could be. She seemed to be a kind spirit singing about the times; I remember her first song, or at least my first encounter with her music, “Love to Love You Baby.” It was quite a song and it brought her into the lime light with 23 simulated orgasms in a single song. I doubt that’s been replicated in music since.

The photo above was taken in California late last year. It reminds me that when the sun sets, you will either see a sunrise in a few hours, or you will pass on to the next phase of your life. A few years ago, actually more than a few years ago, Donna Summer came to Ravinia, a local outdoor music center in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago. Her voice was crisp, she knew what her audience remembered about her, and for a couple of hours she took us back to the times when silk shirts with patterns were the rage, and we all hoped our last dance was decades away.

Thanks for stopping by.

Someone to watch over me.

"There's still a rope burn on that old branch, 
that hangs over the river, 
I still got the scar
From swinging out a little too far
There ain't a corner of this hallowed ground, 

that we ain't laughed or cried on, 

it's where we loved,
Lived and learned a lotta stuff
It's everything we're made of."

This past weekend, when I went to St. Louis, there was one person who I visited that I told very few people about. I visited with my Mom---I visit her every time I am in town. In case you are wondering, she is off White Road, about three quarters of a mile down a two-lane stretch on the left-hand side. Once through the gates, continue straight and look for a very large stone column and you will find her about 12 steps away. She is peacefully resting next to my Aunt and Uncle who have similar stones.

It's always kind of interesting to go visit a cemetery; it's very quiet (unless a service is going on at the time) and it's also extremely personal. You find written memories, flowers and other gifts placed in front and around the stones where they now live---also, there are little rocks placed on top to let them know someone had been there to visit. Again, it's very personal, yet very open for all to see.

While I was there, I went in search of my grandparents, yet this time they must have been  hiding from me. I guess this would be called, "cemetery hide and seek." Not only did they  play the game well, I couldn't find them and finally gave up. ("Olly, Olly, Oxen Free.") I was disappointed, but had to smile when I thought---maybe they were down at the race track betting on the ponies. (My grandparents loved to go to Vegas and the horse track.)

I recognized a lot of names, lots of "baums, steins, felds, mans, and others" with very few "Johnson, Smiths, Whites, and Joneses" in the area. This was a 'hood in West County and let's just say, it was Jewish upper middle class.

As I walked back to the large stone that is near where my Mom rests, I stopped. I read a name that was not more than 15 feet from where my Mom and Aunt and Uncle now lived. A fraternity brother had moved into the neighborhood a little more than a year ago. I might add, based upon the ages of those who also live in the neighborhood, he was way too young to have taken up residence. 

I met Martin "Marty" Goldstein when I went to the University of Missouri; I knew Marty because we were in the same pledge class in AE Pi, but didn't know him as well as I knew other people who lived in the house. He was a good guy, loved to laugh, was very social (AKA one who liked to party) and had a girlfriend who he later married. I knew Marty had succumbed to ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease; I was leveled when I learned of his passing a little more than a year ago. Besides that, I really had lost touch over the many years since college. Yet, there he was, living in the same area I frequently visit. (I put a stone on his stone and will do so when I visit next time.)

The photo above is of Marty's stone. Like many others it is grey, has an inscription, and because it was Memorial Day weekend, there were many flags around the cemetery and his stone in particular. If there is one thing about a cemetery that I enjoy, it's the ability to take a photograph of a moment that has been left for everyone to enjoy. Maybe flowers, a letter, or even a St. Louis Cardinal flag---one thing you never have to worry about is asking anyone to stand up straight, turn this way or smile...they already are.

Thanks for stopping by.