Day 132: On Beer & Wine

Wine is for introspection, beer is for ispiration.

Or so it seems to me. The guitar playing went well today. No nerves, but the humidity was such that my fingers stuck together and felt sticky. It made for sluggish movements on the fret board.


What are we to make of the world? Of fate? Of the big scheme of things? Why do we go through life and suddenly stumble upon one another, often born years apart and then to have the lives lead have an effect, one upon the other? What is it that makes the roads we choose intersect in such a way as to discover each other? We are all so intertwined that it blows my mind. Charles Dickens understood how peoples individual actions would impact those they knew and did not know. How those effects may not become apparent for many years. The more that my life goes on, the more I see the magic of mankind, of inter-relationships. For what purpose are two people brought together?
A few weeks ago I photographed a wedding in Sacket Harbor, NY. It was a small affair and the bride needed me for only a couple of hours. She is easily thirty years younger than I. Her father was in the Army which brought the family to Northern NY region via Fort Drum. Well, I was born and raised here. She graduated from Indian River Central high school, as did I. So, eventually our paths crossed as she was in need of a photographer and hired me. The following photo is from her wedding.


The bride in this photo is at left, holding her niece. The infants mother is at right, smiling with hands on her hips. What a joyous moment in their lives. They are a sweet and kind family and made me feel very welcome and "at home". Now, who could have known that about three weekks later tragedy would strike this family? A few days ago the infants father, SSGT Jesse Ainsworth, stationed at Fort Drum, NY, was killed in Afghanistan. What a terrible shame. I do not know what to make of it. Until a few weeks ago I did not know any of these people. Did not know they existed. But there kindness was so touching, so sincere. I was grateful for having met them. And though I do not know them well, because it was really a business relationship that brought us together, I cannnot help but be saddened by their loss, especially following so close on the heels of such a joyous occassion. What does it all mean?
After I heard the news I did a search on Jesse Ainsworth's name and found this photo on the web:
It was evidently taken recently in Afghanistan.
Read more about SSGT Ainsworth at Freedom Remembered