I just found out a good friend of mine passed away suddenly over the holidays.
He was my age. (Somewhere around 40)
He was one of those friends you could go years or even decades without actually seeing, but when you finally did, you’d just pick right back up where you left off in your friendship.
Do you know what I mean?
Not a “good friend.”
But a LIFE LONG friend.
I went to school with him. I played baseball with him and goofed off with him in college. If I needed a place to stay, I’d crash on a futon at his place.
We came to each others’ weddings and made fools of ourselves on the dance floor.
Now that I think about it, the last time I actually saw him in person was at his wedding just before Jonny was born, 13 years ago.
Wow…
As the years went by, we kept up via social media. I saw when he became a father, or when he moved or changed jobs and the like.
But he had a knack for photography. A REAL knack. And I don’t mean that lightly.
Each time he would post pics from another shoot, I was continually in awe.
It inspired me.
Being a parent to young kids meant I didn’t have a lot of time or energy for a creative outlet.
I would occasionally write about parenthood but mostly to vent.
That was about it.
I had an old Nikon camera that I used for work occasionally but I didn’t actually know a lot about digital photography.
But when my friend would post another fantastic set of shots, it would leave me literally speechless. I would try to pick apart his photographic techniques or the lighting he was using because I just couldn’t understand how his images were THAT GOOD.
And soon enough, I found myself actively trying to improve MY own photography based on his work.
Being both an Art Major AND insanely competitive, I thought, “I want to be as good of a photographer as him.”
One day.
If I just keep at it.
Maybe I could even sell a couple prints.
One day.
Maybe I could get myself a studio.
One day.
Maybe I could even become a professional photographer…
“One day.”
…sigh
I have had a lot of “one days.”
Some are little things like “I’ll get the shed cleaned out, one day.”
Some are big things like “running a marathon,” or “writing a book.”
…one day.
But I’ve always thought of those “one day” goals as future aspirations.
Things that I will get to “eventually.”
And then days will go by.
Weeks.
Months.
Years.
And these “one day” goals never seem to come to fruition.
I tell myself, “I’ll do it tomorrow,” or “I’ll do it later.”
But here’s the thing I am realizing with my friend’s passing…
One day, we will run out of “one days.”
And then just like that, the opportunity will be GONE.
We only have a finite amount of days to make a difference.
To touch another soul.
To become the PARENT we want to be…
To become the PERSON we want to be…
The saying “There IS no tomorrow” WILL be a factual statement for every single one of us at some point in our life time.
It could even be today for some.
So whether it’s with photography, a job, in parenthood, or in ANYTHING;
Live. Every. Moment.
The things we WANT to do in life will never be accomplished “one day.”
“One day” has to start NOW.
——
I wish I could have seen you one last time, friend. I wish I there was a way I could thank you, with something more than a lousy Facebook post.
You inspired me with your life, with your photography, and even in your passing.
Thank you, for one last inspiration.
I hope I can pass it on for you.
I’m gonna miss you, bro.
But I’ll see you again.
One day.