Talk on the bus

This morning while sitting on the 24 passenger mini-bus that takes us from the Marriott to the Media Center, I overheard a conversation between a few guys sitting two rows in front of me. It’s not like
I was ease dropping, the conversation was pretty loud, as it often is on the morning bus ride. Anyway, the conversation was about the Power Ball Jackpot being up to umpteen millions and what they would do if they won. One man said he would leave his job the minute he found out he had won. He said, “I wouldn’t pick up a camera again, I’d hire someone to shoot for me!” I thought how sad, I love my work. I would love to sleep in occasionally, and not have to hit the showers at 5:30 a.m. but I love what I do and don’t mind working for my check. I think most people would find having more money than they know what to do with less settling than they think. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I work hard and try to do a good job. Would I like to have more money, sure everyone would, but happiness peace, and joy are not determined by that.

Last night I had the exceptional pleasure of having dinner with a group of great friends. In the picture at the top, left to right, J.D. Cuban, staff photographer for Golf Digest, Takayuki Abe, our senior repair tech from the New York office, Dom Furore, Senior staff photographer for Golf Digest, and Brien Aho, our newest NPS tech rep based in Maryland. You couldn’t find a better group of men to have dinner with. The evening was filled with great stories from around the table and the reliving of lots of great memories from a group that has had a lot of great experiences to share. I’ve worked many events with Abe and he is always a joy to work with, he’s also a great technician and magician with difficult repairs. Brien is our latest hire and what a great hire he is.
Brien is fresh out of 20 years in the Navy as a Combat Camera member. His work is absolutely stunning, and he is really nice guy, and hard worker, he is going to do great at Nikon. J.D. and Dom have been dear friends for a number of years, I met both of them about eight years ago at the Masters and every April, the highlight of my spring is to get to visit with both of them again. Both J.D. and Dom are as good a photographers as you will find in the sports world. Even more important to me, they are truly wonderful people and great friends.

Abe took us to his
favorite Japanese
restaurant close
to the hotel. The
variety of food was
pretty amazing. I’m
not a huge fan of this
kind of food, but
the fellowship more
than made up for
that. If I had to eat
all my meals with
chop sticks, I’d
starve.

Back to the talk on
the bus. If I had
won the lottery
ten years ago, I would have never met, Dom, J.D., Brien, or Abe. While being a millionaire might
be kinda cool, not knowing these guys would be a tragedy. I would venture to say that if I drove
a Bentley, flew on a private jet, wore thousand dollar suits, and owned a hundred thousand dollar watch, but didn’t know these guys, I’d have been short changed. Enjoy what God has already given you, and get on with living the life you already have. And while you’re at it, be thankful for the countless blessing that are already yours!

Today’s Prayer; Father thank you for the life you’ve given me, my family, my friends, and the craft I love to practice, so much. I know I don’t deserve any of this, but thank you Father for your grace, gifts, and forgiveness. Please help me to be the man You want me to be, and please be patient with me as I try to follow Your ways. Amen.

Blessings,

the pilgrim

For the golf fans, below, Brien shooting in the interview room, and my shot of Tiger in the same press conference. Great work if you can get it.

Photo Notes: First two shots Nikon Coolpix P300, shot of Brien and Tiger Woods, D7000
and 200-400 AF-S VR lens. Last two shots ISO 1600.

Sorry Homer, Phil is not doing an interview, but I asked Brien to shoot him teeing off this morning,
should have those soon!