It was a beautfiul July 4th at J & M's place on the lake. The weather just barely cooperated, amazing food was eaten, and many, many things were blown-up. My wife and I managed to find a dog sitter, so for the first time in the half-a-dozen years we've been going to this particular get-together, we were finally able to stay the night.
It should be noted, for the record, that in our exuberance towards getting on with our dog-free weekend, my wife and I managed to forget our tent, our sleeping bags, and all my camera equipment. I did, however, have several light-stands and a heavy-duty tripod with me. Always be prepared, that's my motto.
Throughout the day, people around the lake were setting off fireworks. BIG fireworks. Explosions that rattled the ice-cubes in your drink were common. But as soon as the sun went down, all hell broke loose. Monster shells filled the sky with color. The windows shook. The edge of the lake was ringing with fountains of sparks. It was like being inside a firework.
I did manage to get some pictures using a point-and-shoot I keep in my car, and as I was editing them, I was struck by the fact that it had been a full year since I had seen several of the friends who were at the party. Since the last 4th of July, in fact. I have been so consumed by my work, consumed by trying to find my place in the wonderfully screwed-up world of professional photography, I have very nearly cut myself off from all the great people that make up my life.
I'm not exactly going out on a limb here, but as I see it the first year of a business is the most important, as what you're really doing is gaining the mind-set needed for the challenges of what comes next. All in all, I'm doing pretty well. But it's high time I get off my butt and start making some phone calls. Gotta party sometime.
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