The Farewell

I wasn't going to submit this photo. It's on my older shit camera, and was something I did when I first started taking pictures about eight months ago. It is actually a very important photo to myself, as it was taken at a turning point in my life. I don't know if any of you have ever had a moment where you could actually see your life change, but this was one for me.

All of you don't know me at all, as were just a bunch of deviants on this site, and the only thing we really get to know about each other is threw our photos, or what little we say about ourselves in our comments.

So a couple of things have gone into me posting this photo, which I'm not sure is good quality, or will be faved that much, but which is besides the point. I sold my first print on here last night. I feel it is an accomplishment, because I work very hard, and invest a lot of time, but have been unable to sell a damn thing up until now. I was also talking to a friend and this photo came up. So I figured I'll just post it and at the same time try to let you guys in on a little bit about me, and where I have been, and where I am going.

Now the reason this photo came up, it was the point in my life where I decided I wanted nothing else but to be an artist. I dropped out of school, I left everything I had for the most part, and I came out to Arizona. I will not get into the details of course, but it wasn't so much the location that was important, but the mindset and circumstances that would come with the move. All in all I just needed a change.

I went to the beach on the last day I was in Florida, and I sat there by myself and wrote two letters. One for myself to read in one years time, and one for the rest of you. Below is the one I wrote for you. It is the reason I am here, it is the reason I do photography, it is the reason you are reading this right now. And hopefully for some of you, it will be the words that change the way you think about a thing or two going on in your life.

Farewell Florida
10-26-2006

This is it, this is goodbye. I enjoyed my time here, and I'm grateful for every experience I have had. I am content with my past and myself. But you see, there is this thing called happiness that I hear about all the time, Rarely actually seeing it. What it is I couldn't really explain, but I'm pretty sure every single person has a different way of achieving it. They all have their own complexion and substances, but I like to believe the underline to everyones would be something like this.

-Can you look around at your life and the people around you, and know that this is it, there is no where you would rather be, and that this is where you want to stay? Can you wake up every morning with a smile on your face, and have the feeling of excitement to go to sleep, just because you get to wake up again.-

I can't really put into words what will make us happy, or what it will consist of, the truth is I really don't know. But what we do have to understand is what will not make us happy, and to separate ourselves from everything and anything that would lead to us to that kind of life. I can't explain to anyone the exact reasons why I quit school, or why I'm moving across the united states to pursue dreams that everyone has, and to which everyone then says are unachievable. I just know in my heart what is the right thing for me, and I wouldn't allow myself to stay in a situation that most people let themselves sink into, desperate, drowning, and dead. My advice to anyone reading this wouldn't be along the lines of following in my footsteps or to take huge risk and adventures, but I would ask them to look at their own life and truly ask if this is what they want for themselves, if the answer is no, then you are one of the many that are already dying. Can you take the actions to prevent your life from being a waste? Can you be not only content, but fulfilled by your past, present, and future? Can you take that old mirror cliche to heart, and like the person you see, because it really is a true measure of happiness.

I can, and I always will, because I know who I am and what I want, and nothing can stop me.-


Ok sorry for the long story, but you didn't have to read it if you didn't want to, so the jokes on you.

I hope you all appreciate how much this photo means personally. I hope you understand how much I appreciate your support. I am only getting started, it's going to be a fun ride, stick around.