Life at 78 R.P.M.

"Sixty seconds now feels more like thirty

Tick-tock, won't stop, and round it goes

Sand through the glass sure falls in a hurry

And all you keep trying to do is slow it down, soak it in

Keep trying to make the good times last as long as you can

But you can't, man

It just goes too fast."

If you have yet to figure it out, life travels at a blazing speed. Maybe not always, like when you're waiting for news that could have a major impact on your life, but in general, if you blink to slow, it's moved on with or without you.

But, one of the best things about moving quickly is the ability to sit back and think about all that has happened—the good, bad, and awesome. We all have experienced these three situations; it might be the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, or the thrill of seeing something that had not happened in 108 years. (I tossed that in for the Cub fans around the world—of which I was one for a solid month.)

Recently I have had the opportunity to spend time alone; it was really weird without commotion, but I made it through and I am here to discuss it. My wife and kids went to California to visit family…I elected to stay behind. When they first left I had the feeling, "What am I going to do?" It was something I was  concerned about as I am not always good at being with me, myself and I. Spoiler alert, I did just fine but it did take a day or two to get used to.

During the first 24 hours I made soup in honor of my Mom (it was nothing like what she made), took photos in honor of my Dad (sorry Pops, I have you beat on that one), and went to our local zoo in honor of my kids. (Now they hate going  as I suspect I burnt them out long ago.) That's why I bought a single membership!

While I was there I saw animals in a very relaxed mode. I suspect since there are few fools who go in the middle of winter, they know they do not have to be "on." It was great to be there alone with my trusty Nikon, but I was not sure how I was going to "capture" any decent shots. 

The giraffes were inside and cramped up in a much smaller location, the polar bear was probably questioning why I thought for some stupid reason he would want to be in the icy water, and the lions, they were outside but doing their best to stay warm.

Then I heard someone mention, "the window." This is where you can look at the lions up close and feel safe with a very thick pane of glass between you and dinner. I went up and the "magic" happened. Here were a male and female nose-to-nose showing the love they have for one another—comfort, not love…this is a "G" rated blog.

The photo above is of the two lions; in 20-degree weather, they rested with not a care in the world. They looked to be dreaming of life from far away lands where it is warm. Both looked very content—and made every attempt to not pay attention to the idiot in 20-degree weather wanting to take a picture of them.

Thanks for stopping by.

The one in the crowd.

"There's one in every crowd

Brings the party in us out

Good time Charlie with a Harley."

We've all been there. Whether it's a meeting, gathering, or even a football game, there's usually someone who stands out from the rest of the pack. Some of us love it, some of us dread it, but when you have a Nikon in your hand, you thrive for the moment.

This past November, I fulfilled a bucket list wish. Most people might think, "That's on your bucket list?" I would simply say, Yep, big time." You see, I photographed the Iowa State V. Oklahoma football game in Ames, IA and was on the field.

For more than 6 years I have been photographing sports at a local level. Primarily High School football, but sometimes basketball, soccer, hockey and even professional games from the stands. In other words, I had to pay to do it. 

I am fine with paying, but my desire was to one day be one of "them." You have most likely seen "them" at games,  they're the photographers on the field at college and professional sporting events. They're also the ones who have monopods(sticks),huge lenses and cameras that outweigh most newborn children—-they are seen as those who really know what they're doing. In comparison with us "wanna-bees" who are just that…"want to be" on the field but never get the chance.

Getting to this moment was not easy. For me it took connections and follow-up/light begging; I let the school know I was experienced and would not do anything stupid. It almost didn't happen, I won't get into it, but the stars aligned and suddenly I was there right next to the guys who photograph every game, know the players, and are the usual's with the gigantic lenses. Right next to them...there I was.. little ol' me.

As a photographer I think I shoot in an "unusual manner." When everyone else is standing, I am on the ground with my camera praying I don't get stepped on—-but for me, it's all about the angles. When I was in the corner of the end zone during the first half, I was inches away from being kicked by a cheerleader. The worst part of the experience, she said, "I am sorry sir, I'll be careful not to kick you." Kaboom. I am old.

Adding a little more drama to the event, it was being nationally televised over ESPN and if I were to go out on a stretcher, there was a better than average chance it would end up on the bloopers tape.

Then it happened.

As I was walking from one side of the field to the other during half time, I noticed a man wearing a leather helmet; this was a photo I had to have. I went up and asked if I could take his picture? He said, "One moment" and called for his son to join him. He too had a leather helmet on. I thought, "What century am I in?"

The photo above is the picture I took of the man and his son; as I always say to people, "If you give me your email address I'll send you a copy." He did and I walked on. When I returned to Chicago I sent him a copy and asked him what was up with the leather helmets? It's a story I will discuss in a future "Snap. Shot." but for now, let's just say out of the thousands people in the stands that November evening, "he was the one in the  crowd."

Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks Norman.

"Home for the holidays,
I believe I've missed each and every face,
Come on and play my music,
Let's turn on the love light in the place."

This past holiday season came up fast and went by as quickly. 

Where did it go? 

I have commented that I believe one of the reasons it seemed to come and go faster than previous years is what was happening during the normal holiday preparation time. Starting with October, we saw a "miracle on the horizon;" the Chicago Cubs were actually a favored team to make the World Series. The process of doing so, with all of the close games and long play-off series, took nearly a month to complete. 

So that took us to the beginning of November. As America took a deep breath in preparation for the election less than a week later, once that was over, then Turkey and Santa soon followed. Now, it's a new year and here we are!

During the past few days, my family has been out of town. Whereas that would be a sign for a big party and time to go wild, the craziest thing I did was go to 3 movies, the zoo and two photo shoots. I went nuts as you can tell.

This time off also gave me opportunity to do some exploring in our storage area and it proved to be worth it. I found old photos, sports memorabilia, Norman Rockwell prints and much more. For most readers of "Snap.Shot," the Rockwell prints would be a big yawn---but for me, it's a part of my past. I loved Norman Rockwell when I was much younger, and still yearn for the scenes he brought to America all those years ago. 

Many years ago I had a meeting at Curtis Publishing Company in Indianapolis. I had no idea they had been the publishers of the Saturday Evening Post and better yet, no idea they had real Norman Rockwell paintings in their headquarters! What I also learned was over the years they found many of his paintings behind filing cabinets, in closets, and hidden away gathering dust. If they only had a garage sale I would now be loaded.

What I love about his work was how he captured the American spirit; his work gave us a snapshot of love, the realities of war, and far away adventures that most people would likely never experience. Nowadays we let iPhones, Nikons and iPads capture it all---it's great, but something is lost. Of course I love photography, but there's something about the talent of artists who can take what they see and re-create it with a brush. 

The photo above was inspired by a Norman Rockwell painting. This past Thanksgiving I asked everyone at the table to do a mannequin pose; they did, and the results were magic. Although shooting a camera is much faster than the time it took to create one of his paintings/illustrations, it was Rockwell's inspiration and incredible creative mind that I hope I can always keep in my head when I am taking photos. He was truly one of a kind.

Thanks for stopping by.

The next year.

"Never gonna grow up,
Never gonna slow down,
We were shinin' like lighters in the dark,
In the middle of a rock show."

As we move into 2017, it seems like only yesterday we were preparing for Y2K; now all these years later, we are preparing for the unknown one more time---I have no idea what's instore for the coming year, but I sure hope it lives up to the expectations of what's been laid out by politicians, investors, and everyone who has an opinion. (Which seems to be "everyone.")

Only a few months ago, I want to say many people thought they saw the future staring them in the face. Many, if not most, polls were telling us we would be experiencing something we had never had in the history of the United States. As it turned out, they were "sort of right" with a businessman without any political experience winning the highest office in the land. If you were not surprised by the outcome, would you please provide a stock pick you have been considering.

What happened, whether you support it or not, happened. We are moving forward and time has not stopped---at least so far as I can tell. 

So let's move forward and discuss what would make a fantastic new year. 

If I had a wish list, one that could really come true, I would love to see the following happen: let's cure one form of Cancer. Pick it, doesn't matter, just one for this year and hopefully one for every year after. Can you imagine in our lifetime, we would no longer have to deal with this horrific disease. (Just for fun, can we also add Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to the wish list for 2017?)

My next wish would be to have dinner, breakfast or lunch, with someone who has passed away in my life. My first choice would of course be my parents, but I am open to my mentor who passed away literally days after my first daughter was born, my grandparents, aunt and uncle, I won't be greedy on this wish. Just one hour, maybe two, to catch up and thank them for how they molded me and placed me on a better path.

Another wish, and this is going to sound selfish, I would love to see the Chicago Bulls win the Championship. Okay, this is a true long shot, but I believe I have the two most important wishes above this one. 

Since I don't have any idea what the year will entail, I am going to hope there are many surprises ahead. Some will be great and some "not-so-great." It's call life and you need to be prepared for the cards dealt to you. Hopefully we will all make it to 2018 with as little sadness as possible. 

This past year has been a challenging one in some respects, it's also been very rewarding; I am going place a bet, no not literally, that this year we will be fine. There will be difficult decisions, and many easy ones, I am hoping one out weighs the other. 

The photo above is truly what life is all about. It's the birth of a child, this one is 6-days old, who has no idea where they are, what's going on in this new world they have entered, yet they have so much ahead of them. How cool is that? We are all going to grow in 2017---we always do no matter what the year, I am ready for what's ahead.

Thanks for stopping by.

Letter to Me.

"You got so much up ahead

You'll make new friends

You should see your kids and wife

And I'd end by saying have no fear

These are nowhere near

The best years of your life."

If it were possible, and to my knowledge it's not, would you write a letter to yourself confirming that everything will be alright and to chill about the future? 

There are somethings we don't want to know about, but there are many where a little insight might come in quite handy. Sure, we would all love to know the lottery numbers 5 minutes before the balls pop through the tube, which stock is going to do well, assurance that your sick child is going to be fine…and that the Cubs are going to win the World Series. (Sorry, that's something too far into the future it's still in "unknown" territory.)

One of my favorite movies, and it certainly parallels this thinking, is "Back to the Future." Yes, I have seen it countless times, and the first one was far and away the best of the three, however when you walked out of the theater (that's where I first saw it), it really made you think, ponder, consider, "What if we really could go back in time?" What would we do to change the future? I know for me, there is no way I would go back to the forest where when I was a kid a tree limb fell on my head. (I recovered of course, but there sure was a lot of blood.)

But there are so many moments I would not change. The time spent with my family on summer vacations heading to Florida, the friends I have made along the way, the love I have felt for many things, and most of all where I am today. I could not be any more fortunate, and I always know, "Appreciate today, because you never know what tomorrow will bring." I could never have anticipated some of the thrills I have been fortunate to encounter and some of the deep losses I have have had to face. As Prince would state, "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." It's true, life is a maze, journey, experience that has so many potential twists and turns, you just never know what's waiting around the corner.

If you have been reading "Snap.Shot." for any length of time, you know I love to take photos. If you have yet to figure it out, well…"I do." Probably the best thing about photography is the opportunity to capture a moment and freeze it in time. For sure there are many moments captured that do not tell a story to everyone who looks at the picture, but if it's you, or a loved one, it's something that can't be given back, returned, or changed. So smile, it's all going to be worth it.

The photo above makes me wince each time I see it. It was taken recently at a local football game and for some reason my trusty Nikon caught it. It reminds me to have a backup plan; I am hopeful this player will be fine and up and running soon. However, during the time he is recuperating, he will need to look forward and plan for the future—with or without football. If he could however, have written a letter to himself just a few minutes before this hit, I am sure he would have changed the outcome. I know most of us would.

Thanks for stopping by.

Steps.

“Since you turned the tables on me

I've been steady and learnin' lonely

Keepin' this turntable spinnin’

Everything from Jones to Jennings

Slowly plannin' my survival

In a three-foot stack of vinylSince you had to walk on outta here

I've been havin' a record year.”

This is a year where there will be many records set, shattered, and missed. Some are very good, some to be expected, and some leave you scratching your head wondering what and how is this happening?

In the coming weeks we will be glued to our TV’s, iPhones, and computer screens watching athletes perform some incredible feats. You can be sure there will be many records broken during the upcoming Olympics. Most will be on the field, track, gym, or wherever the event takes place, and unfortunately if Rio doesn’t get its act cleaned up fast, sickness and potential calamity could bring a record of athletes missing their performances. I certainly hope it goes smooth, but there are clouds overhead. (I am still a little peeved that Chicago didn’t win the Olympics, but I will likely be able to get downtown easier since they’re occurring thousands of miles away.)

Mix this with the Political Conventions on the horizon and we will again be glued to our various forms of communication. The two “Presumptive” candidates will be traveling to respective cities to be cheered and placed on a pedestal for about 100 days. That is until the election is over and one will remain. Regardless, it’s going to be a very interesting and dirty race (no doubt about that) of which we will hear once again some of the most outrageous comments that whether true or not, would get the normal person clocked in the face for saying. It should be great fun to watch, but after the show credits roll, someone is going to be at center stage.

There is little doubt we will live to see tomorrow once the Olympics and Presidential races are over. But if the uprising continues in various cities around the US and the world, with mass killings and senseless acts, this is going to be one record I do not want to see happen. The recent situation in Dallas is a reminder that no matter how safe we believe we are, there is a growing chance we’re not. That scares me—-as I am sure it does millions of others.

So, yes this is going to be a record year, but I really hope, pray, and whatever adjective sounds appropriate, we finally begin to see an end to all of the violence happening around the world. I know it’s wishful thinking, but if you can’t put your feelings out there, then we will continue to scratch our heads and wonder why? 

The photo above was taken at my daughter’s gymnastic event. I believe it’s appropriate for a number of reasons. We walk a very fine line “in this thing called life” (Thank You Prince) and if we take the small steps to get back on track, we can once again stand tall knowing we can end so much of this craziness and get back to making records—-the ones we enjoy seeing, hearing, and cheering about.

Thanks for stopping by.

Life in a glass house.

"I guess that's just how it goes

When you break up in a small town

I see our friends and they put on a show

Like they don't want me to know

So they give me the go-around."

There's little doubt, with all of the available ways to communicate what's going on in your life, we have little privacy any longer. Even if we want to remain private, there are ways to bring anything to the forefront and provide information to anyone who wants to see it. 

In case you doubt it, Google yourself and see what's out there. 

I always thought I had a fairly unique name, but once I took a look into cyberspace, I found out, "there's a lot of me's" out there. It might be a different person in a different location, but according to what I have earned, I am a well practiced attorney, doctor, artist and much more. Funny, "porn star, athlete and celebrity" were not part of the "find." Guess that's good, I would be lousy at all three.

But what's out there can be very eye opening. Recently I looked for people who I graduated high school with; as our 40th reunion approaches, I was wondering what happened to so and so, and would they be attending? I learned some will not be attending due to death, distance from our home town, and the one that really caught my attention—a life long criminal serving a long sentence. I assume we will not be seeing him unless we do iChat. (Since he was a bully, and I doubt he has access to a iPhone, he will have to look forward to the 50th or 60th reunion—no loss.)

This past week my family has been out of town; although very strange, I have been all alone and have cooked, plopped, and watched whatever I have wanted to at night. What makes it even stranger of a feeling is you would really have to make an effort to look into our home if that was your goal. (Never thought about it until this week.) With more than 500 feet in the back, and an easy 150 in front, you would have to venture up and look through the curtains. Creepy? You bet it is! 

The one "friend" you might encounter is a snake that happens to live in our front yard. I have seen him a couple of times—he's not a pet, but knowing he is there would startle anyone. (But not me, I keep an eye glued out for him whenever I leave the house.) I hate snakes. Or it might be the foxes that might keep the house safe—I saw two the other day and let's just say they're not afraid of humans. Lovely.

Yes living alone is quite strange, but when I went to the zoo and watched the gorillas live their lives in front of hundreds of onlookers it brought it all into focus. I cannot imagine what it would be like to have your daily activities, I mean everything, in plain sight of the world. There are Mother gorillas tending to their babies and Father gorillas doing nothing but sitting there pissed off because no one is paying attention to them. (Damn kids.) But that's the life they've been dealt. I know that some would say they are living a much more secure life where food and shelter are a guarantee, but there's something unnatural about it. (It does however make for easy photos.)

The photo above was taken of a baby gorilla. It was obvious who had the energy and who didn't; Mom had her "hand" on her forehead with a look of, "Why did I let myself get into this and where's your father, is he online again?"

Thanks for stopping by.