One more day.
September 11, 2001. A day we will never
forget, but although I reflect on that day, my spirit takes me to another
moment, connected in part to that horrific day. It's been ten years and twelve
days before I walked into a moment that would stay with me till this day, and
for always.
I had just purchased my first camera, the Nikon F80 from
Peter at a local London Drugs.
"Back in the day", like many new photographers, I
had a second job, a main job, and that for me was building homes. The summers
were busy, and the opportunity to venture out with my camera alone into the
mountains was something I looked forward to every fall. I would make my way to
Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, you name it. I was back country driving and hiking
in areas that took my breath away many times, and not only because of the
beauty.
September 22, 2001, I found myself up before sunrise and in
an area of the world that was reserved for those seeking a piece of heaven. I
sat, fixated on waiting for the sun's early rays to reach up and kiss the tips
of the mountains in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, 6,183 feet above sea level. Some
may call it escaping, but for me it was an opportunity to connect, undisturbed,
with the special moments and places I would discover. As they say, you can
visit one place thousands of times and it's never the exact same twice.
I sat, alone, in the quiet of the morning. I looked at my
watch. It was almost 6:30am. There were maybe five or six people in view from
where I sat including a lone figure perhaps thirty feet away. As the light
began to emerge above the mountain tops, I felt an urge to speak to this
figure, obviously caught up in their own thoughts. Because I hadn't spoken yet
that day, my voice cracked out a "what a beautiful morning." The
figure slowly turned, likely wondering if I was speaking to them. It was a
lady, in her late 40s covered in a hoodie to stay warm on the chilly rocky
slope. "It's incredible here", she said, "it's like heaven on
earth."
We struck up a conversation, so with camera and tripod in
hand, I made my way across some of the rocks to a place close so we could talk
and share. The conversation was cordial and added life to the surreal surroundings. "I'm a
flight attendant for American Airlines" she eventually shared. "I
don't know what is going to happen to my career." She shared about her
experience on September 11, 2001, and her fears. Her life was filled of many
incredible moments and she was working at the job of her dreams. The
possibility of it coming to an abrupt end was scary for her. There were many
layoffs over the next while, and although I don't know what was to become of
her future, she left me with some powerful words. "Pursue your dreams and
life will always be fun. Not many people are able to work at something they
love. I get to travel to beautiful destinations. You will have the opportunity
to photograph and remember moments in time. That's powerful."
I am a lucky person. I "work" at what I love to
do. I have been granted a gift, an opportunity, to share moments with the
world. I want to say thank you to that lady that I met so much time ago that
left an impression on me long before I pursued photography full time. It meant
a lot then, and still means a lot now. Possibly even more.
On this day, ten years later. Let us remember.
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