Will B.
Another year has rushed by like a West Texas windstorm and we find ourselves sitting down to delicious turkey and ham meals, surrounded by those we love most - and some not so much (ha!) reliving memories, some happy and some sad. These are the core memories we look back on each year fondly and it’s what makes the holidays so special. These memories have been replayed and made anew year after year like a favorite hat that’s worn down and fits just right or that old pair of jeans we refuse to let go of. They have holes but fit so perfectly, so comfortably, just like our memories.
Just like most people, I have many things to be thankful for and many memories to look back on. Some of my best memories have happened right here in Olney [that’s pronounced All-Knee, for those not in the know]. Sometimes I look at my life since coming to Olney almost eight years ago and think, Man, my life didn’t really come together or have purpose until I moved to this sweet little country town. Olney gave me purpose and an avenue to use what I love most: photography.
I suppose what I am most thankful for is the gift God gave me of being a somewhat decent photographer. Why? Because photography gives me an inside look at so many lives in our little community and this allows me to feel a part of all these lives.
Never blessed with having children and always wanting a daughter, I love my two nieces as daughters but they don’t live close enough to see on a regular basis. I watch the children of Olney grow from tiny tots to full grown adults. They warm my heart and give me endless smiles and laughs when they are small and fill my heart with pride as they grow older and succeed at their goals. I feel sadness when they fail as well.
Some may think it’s not possible to grow close and feel a part of our Olney youths’ lives just looking through the viewfinder of a camera but I grow close in my heart to them and to the community as I capture all the memories each year.
Each family portrait session, I do feel close and tied to those families, especially the ones I am blessed to photograph each year. One of my favorite memories only recently made is being able to photograph a college graduate session of a young lady whom I have been photographing since she was in elementary school. I photographed her senior session from high school as well and have witnessed her go from a fun-loving child to an accomplished college graduate ready to make her mark on the world.
I felt so much pride for her accomplishment, these are the memories I am making and cherishing and one reason I am so thankful to be included and have a place in the community.
What are you thankful for most? This is Will B saying, pass the turkey, please!