2008: A Year in Pictures

Current Location: Midland, Michigan, USA / 43°37′25.0″N 84°13′45.7″W

After writing my journal entry entitled Language of Light, I sat there, alone in my hotel room, amazed at my ability to some how conjure up words to express how I felt that day. Sometimes, I spend hours on this blog--reading my own writing, wondering what had inspired me to type in an alphabetical harmony of thoughts--transcribing my every emotions into a symphony of lyrical prose. I'm definately not a writer, nor do I talk like this in person--and please beleive me, I'm not boasting. I'm sorry if it sounds that way; but John, a loyal blog reader had commented the other day on my 'excellent English' and asked 'where did it come from?' My response: Passion.

You see, growing up in a Cambodian house hold, my brother and I were forced to speak our native Cambodian dialect whenever we were home. A smack on the butt or the crack of a chopstick to the arm would signify a violation of my father's Linguistic By Law #1: No English Allowed. And after a series of mis-demeanor's and run-ins with the language police, I was forever changed--English at school by day, Cambodian at home by night. But in reflection, I'm glad they instilled in us such a strict balance of culture in our lives. They made me realize how enriched my life is; full of differences and distinctions, a myriad of east and west together to form the center of who I am today...

Which really doesn't explain why I write, nor does it reveal my desire to sit here at night in front of a glaring computer screen, forever ashamed by a blinking cursor. But what it does tell you, I think, is my undying need to share what I see, to feel the emotions that fulfill my soul, and to pass along an image that God has given me the ability to capture--fleeting moments of beauty that define humanity.

Through my lens, I see the world in a series of snapshots; tranquil and vivid, much like the sensors that absorb light in my camera. And like the medium that I carry, what I capture is destined to be shared--destined to be screened by eyes that appeal to my flavor. It's not a matter of writing or posting, typing or publishing, no, but rather, the mere fact that I'm obligated to give a voice to the people I capture, the silent eyes that stare into my lens.

Lately, I've come to the conclusion that life is not all about finding love or finding success in what you do--nope--it's all about finding you, finding yourself! And when you do find yourself, you eventually find love, and you define success in your own special way.

To me, my writing and my ability to capture images is not a talent or skill that is mine to keep, it's nothing more than an invisible passion that's fueled by inspiration and luck--propelled by my desire to share with those who appreciate and understand the complexity of our world.

Through my travels, 2008 marked a defining year for me. Traversing thru twelve countries, some more than once--and an untrackable number of cities, my life has been blessed by the people and places that define what it means to be human, to be alive.