Saturday June 26, 2010
Despite the summer heat and the onset of senioritis, I have been thinking a lot about my thesis lately: how I have a lot left to shoot, how I’m getting a little burnt out on the whole thing, and really importantly- I’m not sure the subject matter I’m pursuing adequately expresses what I want it to. When I think back to what professor Winegarden was saying- about finding what I want to learn about myself through the project and what its deeper meaning is to me- I wonder if there are people closer to my heart I should be photographing. When I say that, I don’t mean photographing my grandparents (which is really out of the question anyway as they live in Kentucky) but still photographing someone grandmotherly- someone who you look up to, who has lived an extraordinaire life, and who you go to for advice. I happen to know just the people.
Today, I had an epiphany. There are several older women I really look up to in this world- people I care about and who I know would do anything for me. These incredible ladies touch the world with their hearts every day, and are very deserving of being photographed for my project. Just wait until you hear more about them.
Photographing ‘them’ for my project has been on my mind since the beginning- but I wasn’t sure how it would tie in to an “East Texas Chronicle” since I wasn’t sure if Dallas TX was considered East Texas. Today I was driving around with my fiancé (who is also working on his Honors Thesis) and we were commiserating about how the theses are taking over our lives, blah, blah, blah, and I mentioned how I was kind of bummed about driving an hour and a half out to Commerce on my free days to photograph people for my project. At that point I decided to voice what has been on my mind- that I would much rather be photographing closer to home, people I really care about, and how I have some ideas that would make my project much more meaningful and hey, more fun.
Which brings us to: JoAnn, Margaret, and Marie. They are three older ladies (who happen to be best friends!), who my family has known and loved for a long time. They have loved, lost, and touched many lives as long as they have been alive, and they continue to brighten people’s lives every day and every week- as they go to nursing/elderly homes and sing gospel music for the residents (with my dad!). How cool is that? JoAnn, Margaret, and my dad play guitar and sing, and JoAnn also plays piano and the banjo. Marie and my mom usually just sit in the audience and sing along. I love going, but since I have been in school I haven’t had a lot of chances to. Now that it is summer I have more opportunities to go visit and hear them play. I think photographing them for my thesis would be an awesome way to share a bit of their love and legacy- and a great time for me to get to know them better and hangout with them before I move away (in December).
Margaret is in a little bit rougher shape than the others, and is having some serious surgery in July- so I really want to spend some time with her since she won’t be able to get around as easily afterwards. Marie is just hilarious and fun to be around, and JoAnn might be the sweetest person I have ever met. I definitely look up to these ladies and I know how much they care about me also. My mom is constantly reminding me how much they miss me and how much they love me.
I know this is the turn my thesis is supposed to take even though there are many very interesting people in Commerce that I could be photographing. Mable is amazing- she’s constantly overcoming health issues so she can continue to work at Millar’s Pharmacy in Cooper (58 years and counting), and Bob Monday is an amazing gardener and is continually helping out the other elderly people in Commerce (what a serving heart!). I know I could easily become great friends with both of them, and they are truly admirable people, but I really want to share a bit about the lives of three ladies who have touched my family’s heart and many, many others. Their stories are the ones I want to share. I am very excited about the changes I’m making with the project and this is definitely getting me out of my mid-thesis slump.
