"We Serve"

We had another meeting last night with a couple new models to the project so I got home kind of late. I was a bit frustrated with the lighting; ok with myself with the lighting issues I was having, so when I got home I sat in front of the TV and watched the end of the movie Troy. As I sat there and watched the bad guys get what I thought they deserved, it hit me how we sometimes miss the blessings others bring to our lives (even the bad guys); maybe because we’re not paying attention or not just connecting the dots….

I thought about the “hurt” I wanted them to feel for their evil ways/pain they’ve caused the good guys. As I thought more about this I quickly realized that “hurt” is a strong and strange emotion but after the pain and discovery we always come out better if we focus on the self-awareness piece. This came to me as I was urging on the good guys to kill as many of the bad guys as possible. As I reflected on my own life, I needed my pain and disappointments to help me with my FOCUSing on what’s most important…

In our meetings with the models, we’ve been talking about our backgrounds in an effort to get to know each other better. I made the mistake in our meeting with Elaine, well it really wasn’t a mistake, but I asked Angel how she would describe “me”. And after I said the words I started to get a little anxious on how she would respond. It was very cool to hear someone else describe you and how you’ve influenced their lives in a positive way. Basically Angel described how I influenced her to set and realize some goals for herself and her work and it was very touching, flattering and maybe even a little embarrassing to hear how much that meant to her as I wasn’t expecting it. As I meet people, there is a part of me that wants to help them reach their true potential and realize their path has always been there and that they just needed to step from behind the "post" or maybe the "building" to see what’s there before them. Sometimes they find that it is a post and not a building (basically a smaller much more manageable obstacle).

We (Angel, Elaine and I) went on further to talk about the fact that the encounters we have with each other are not by chance but are part of our destiny. Sometimes we know the purpose, other times it is revealed to us much later in the relationship or in our lives. In my own life there have been friendships I have formed that I have depended on so much but never knew how significant those friendships/relationships would be in my life as they were forming. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years have passed with each of us experiencing life’s good times and hard times but we’ve been there with unconditional love and support for each other. The one thing that is true about these relationships is that we’ve figured out that “we serve” one another and that it’s not just about us. I must admit that I have been struggling for about 4 years with one past relationship where I have been harboring a good amount of anger and hatred. As I wrote this post I realized that had it not been for this pain, I wouldn't have discovered my passion and this Blog and my other 4 wouldn't exist. I'm not going to lie, I am not all the way there with this person but I am on the road to forgiveness and that's progress.

This project (MIY), which is still very young but maturing, has already been a blessing to Angel I behind the camera but I am more excited about what the project will mean to each of the people who are modeling for us and what it could mean to the community. Connections will be made, friendships formed and who knows how and when each of us will need to call upon each other for advice, help, etc. I believe in calling things out for how I envision them and claiming the prize. We (Angel and I) are about building portfolios but quickly realized that we are doing so much more in serving each other and these people through photography. Bringing out what makes them unique as a group and as individuals is they key and “The Beauty in Diversity”.

Stay tuned for more... – I bet you’re still wondering how this entry started with a “bad lighting day” and the movie Troy and ended with “We Serve”. I may take you through some stuff but I WILL bring you back home. LOL.