I have never thought that I would write something that a stranger to me would actually read. I used to love to write--especially poetry. I wrote about deep thoughts and experiences. It had a cathartic benefit, but beyond that, I have been happy to be a reader of others' writings. But not anymore...
Two years ago, I was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at the age of sixty-four. I am a husband and a father of four adult children, and three grand children. Photography has been, in the last five or six years, a passion--a way to reconnect, slow down, appreciate. It is special for that reason. It is also magical--capturing the light--the types and hues and shadows...
So, why am I doing this, you ask? One reason is that I have a rare type of Alzheimer's. It is called Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). It means that I am losing my ability to communicate, using verbal and written language. My speech is already compromised. Words don't come, and are frequently garbled or mispronounced. Typing is also slow, and spelling of words can be difficult--even with simple words--they just simply look wrong.
So, I admit that this blog is really for me, you see. My hope is that if I continue to use language--verbal or written, that I might relearn what I have lost to the disease. And, to do this within a community of photographers and lovers of photography, should be enough of an incentive to keep keeping on.
In the meantime, I will begin to begin to display my work here on this website. Again, for as much as it is for me, as it is also for the enjoyment of the audience--good or bad. My images, when I see them on the monitor, evoke strong memories of place and time and beauty that I do not want to lose, because they were taken through the viewfinder of my camera. I was there, and I did, ironically take the picture to keep memory close.
...until next time