he lost his parents & lost his childhood passion
🍿Photography dreams never fade. This man finds ways to re-route and live his childhood dream.🍿
I caught John at Grand Bend Beach, Ontario. Something about how he stared at the water fascinated me. I could tell he was a bottle of stories.
I was right behind him, observing how he held his phone up high in different angles. I could have sworn he was Nick Ut (a renowned professional photographer) who came to hang out with mere mortals on the beach.
I took a picture of him standing and taking his shots. (Obviously, this was not taken by me, but let’s stick to the script)
He started tearing up. I got closer and asked, “Are you okay?” he burst into tears. He couldn’t find the words. I stayed there, holding space for him, and he got comfortable talking.
The Truth Comes Out
At age 6, his dad would always take him to parks and beaches so that they could see things through binoculars.
They’d do this every other weekend, and if they couldn’t one weekend for any reason, John would get angry. His dad would put on NatGeo for him to calm him down. That always works, and he’ll sit in front of the screen all day watching how these people view animals from afar.
Whenever he looked through the lens of the binoculars, he wished he could freeze the pictures and adore them later.
That’s where his love for Photography began. As he grew older, he figured he could use phone and digital cameras to freeze moments.
At that point, nothing would stop him from being a professional photographer — not even the rapture.
Life threw him a lemonade that tasted so bitter he didn’t care about life or his passion anymore. He lost his parents at a beach right before his eyes. They sat close to the beach, but the water overflowed past its bank. Lifeguards came as quickly as they could, but it was too late.
Night fell, the police and the rescue team kept searching but to no avail.
He lost hope and became a pessimist. He’d do everything for years but never lift a camera or anything related. He was satisfied working a factory job that paid minimum wage. He had quite a decent life, a small car, and still lived in his parent's home while covering the mortgage.
For years, the only thing he knew was work and home. No hanging out with friends or family.
There’s Hope
Now in his mid-40s, he finally dared to revisit his childhood memories at this spot where I met him leaning against the graffiti wall.
I’m glad my shy, socially awkward, and introverted self, connected with a stranger who has become a brother or, better still, a father figure. I’m glad it wasn’t just another regular day of going out and feeling empty.
Hearing John’s story filled me up. Holding space for him to revisit those memories he hadn’t visited and seeing him cry in my arms broke my heart in infinite pieces.
Since then, we have met every weekend to see things through his iPhone lens. Even though he claims he might never become a professional photographer, I keep telling him that if he wants to, he can always do it by sharing his story with people.
He started sharing his story with people around the park, who would after let him take pictures of them with his iPhone. Even though he might never become the professional photographer he wanted to be, he can become a better one, one he never thought of becoming.
When life gives you lemons — trade them for coffee beans and make a strong brew of resilience.
Incase you missed it:
would you migrate to a place where you know nobody?
i met Tanya 2 weeks ago while on a bus to work. She sat across me and immediately initiated conversation as soon as I got to my seat. Weird, I thought, because it was rare for anyone to start a conversation with a stranger. Most especially on a bus.
I got teary while reading this.