why come?

life is a rollercoaster. you're up, you're down. In life, i have made a conscious decision to have the big ups and the big downs.

Gimme the Kennedys. I don't want the gold watch and the 37 foot RV at the end of my 64 years of service to america. I want the private jet to the coast, and the rundown hovel with the cans of tuna from the drugstore.

Today I would like to stop time. Take a breath, reflect on events in my life that have had an impact, and exhale.

If things were different than they are, how would they be?

I am thinking of people i have known who are no longer here. Jobs i have had, places i have been, faces i have felt more than seen.

I want to think about the earth beneath my feet, and how it passes by with or without a camera in my hand.

I am thinking of countries i've seen, state highways i have slept near and the countless images i've made or missed along the way.

for today, i would like to forget about new york and its trappings. my need to prove to you that i am here, or that i was there.

i want to just let it ride.

I will leave my camera behind today in honor of this day. (maybe i won't, but i bet i might)

I lay down my arms. If i see you, I won't show anyone else tomorrow. If i miss something today, it's okay. We all miss it together.

It's a big place we're in, this earth of ours. I'll bet that northern europe, and even australia can take a day off from the perspective of this particular New YoNka.

Relax today. Think about things. Remember those you love. Call someone you miss and let them know you miss them.

Look around you. Imagine you are a camera, in the hands of someone else, just for today. Look at the little things, and consider how they came to be. Today is a special day.

I'll come back, but for today, I flip my shingle, and leave the building.

Millions of Peaches,

(heart)...danconnortown