Poor Lighting

This time of year, I find myself watching commencement speeches from various universities around the country. They invite historical figures, political leaders, and industry trailblazers to inspire, to challenge, to give hope to the graduating class. The speeches are filled with words of wisdom, and they're also filled with metaphors that are a bit out of a reach, or worse, a cliché. "You're a ship embarking on its maiden voyage," "Be true to yourself," "Follow your passion/heart/dreams/fear." But, I guess they're clichés for a reason. As corny, overused, and unoriginal as they sound, these phrases tend to have a big impact on those who are standing at the precipice. They instill a sense of grandeur that is supposed to empower you to make more out of your life, become more. It's as if these commencement speakers are handing over the reigns to this country's future, for you to do with it what you will. In essence, they are. They c

I had started this blog with the intention of learning about photography. It had always been an interest of mine and I thought blogging about it would help me stay honest with this new hobby. Plus it was a great way to track my progress. At first, my voice was that of a novice (which I am), taking slow, wary steps into the world of photography, seeing it through a fresh lens (pardon the pun), hoping to glean some sort of insight from it all and perhaps -- in some miraculous way -- change my life. It's still the case, but ever since my dad passed four months ago, I've put the blog and photography on the back burner. I had zero desire to continue. How could I when my family needs me? Family, and work -- Those were my two main points of focus. Even now I feel guilty thinking about my passions. How could I even begin to imagine my future when my present is still crumbling? But in my attempt to "be there" for my family, I've lost sight of my path, and I don't k