The Edge of the World

There's something about the northern part of North Central Kansas that just feels like the edge of the world to me, even though it's in the center of the United States.  It's always felt like that to me, and I didn't realize just how strong of a feeling it was until I revisited that part of the state for the first time in years.  Vacant places with exotic names, long roads, hot windy days, it all just adds up to....this.

 

Long Island

I spent a few hours in Long Island the other day.  I didn't do any of the usual Long Island activities, but it was still a lot of fun, and not totally what I expected.  And I liked that.  We should all remember to give places like these a chance to teach us something.  

10,000 Down, 100,000 to Go

My dad has always been a fan of the thought that ten thousand hours can make anyone go from being so-so at what they're doing to absolutely amazing, which has really resonated in my head for the past few years.  What I never thought about was what would happen after you invest ten thousand hours into something you love.  I figure that I'm close to the mark, considering I've spent a lot of my time for the past seven years with a camera in my hand, and I'm very happy to be where I am with my work today.  But I know I'm nowhere near ready to say I've done what I can with photography, and that's it.  And I know I have so far to go.  

At this point in my life, I'm confused at what I want to say.  I feel emotionally and physically pulled in multiple directions, and there are days that I just want to give up, sit down, and put a tube over my head.  But there are also days when I can use my camera to show what I see.  And what I see might not be a bold statement in any way, but it does allow my subconscious to have a say in what I feel.  And with that in mind, I plan to use my next ten thousand hours finding my own voice.