I was recently looking through my Flickr account – casually browsing through images – when I came across 2 photos that stopped me in my tracks.
Not because they were anything dramatic, but because they highlighted 2 moments in my life that were emotionally, very special.
The first is this one.
That’s my Mum. In Singapore. Attempting to eat edamame beans with chopsticks.
She found it difficult, but she persisted, even though it meant every meal took an age to finish … especially when she had rice. Ha.
I believe this was her first time to Singapore and her first time meeting her not yet official, daughter-in-law.
She loved both.
I also remember that I picked her up from the airport, introduced her to Jill then had to get on a plane to South Korea for some bullshit meeting I had to attend. Both ladies forgave me, probably because they had a better time without me.
I look at that photo and my Mum looks so young.
I don’t mean by a few years, I mean by decades. Because it’s less about how she looks and more about the spirit she has in the photo.
A bit silly. A lot happy. Pleased to be together with me and see the life I was starting to create for myself.
I would give anything to have this moment again, but having not realised I had this photograph, I guess in some ways, I am.
The other photo is this.
It was taken in 2006 in New York.
We had just come from Memphis, because I’d taken Jill to see Graceland for her 30th birthday.
She loved Elvis. Still does. Her first ever tattoo was his name on her wrist.
It was also the World Cup … and I remember saying to Jill that I didn’t want to go round Elvis’ house a second time – even though I found it fascinating – because England were going to be playing the USA.
She didn’t mind, mainly because it meant she could stay longer with her true love without me being there as the third wheel.
Anyway, I remember this photo was taken on our first night in NYC.
We only were there because we had to wait 2 hours for a table at Serendipity.
I also remember this loud woman on the next table to us being in awe of our pizza. Both in terms of size and smell.
She was right … which is why we took this photo to make sure we captured the bloody enormous scale of this delicious pizza.
And my beautiful wife-to-be. Even though that was still over a year from happening.
It was an awesome night and I remember how we went from the Italian restaurant straight to Serendipity for one of their famous frozen hot chocolate, before walking back to our hotel in the wonderful summer evening.
Then the next day we met Andy. And Bazza …
The fact both these photos commemorate events that took place less than 10 years ago, blows my mind. They seem so much older than that … probably because so much has happened over this period.
Jill and I got married.
We moved countries. And moved countries. And moved countries.
I sold the company I started.
Then I sold another one.
We had a little boy.
My wonderful Mum passed away.
Big changes … life changing changes … which is why I am glad photos exist.
In some ways, they’re even nicer than video.
Sure it would be lovely to hear their voices, see their expressions, experience the energy of the moment again … but photos force you to engage in them, put yourself into the scene and by doing that, in some weird way, it makes the moment feel more real, makes you feel more connected to what is going on. Or at least it does for me.
I know this is an entirely indulgent post, but sometimes I need to do something that reminds me this is still my blog, not yours. Ha.