Where did the weekend go? It's Monday already!

What a pace I have been running at over the last few days. I say this not to say hey look at me, but because over the past few days and at least until this Friday, the pace has shown little sign of letting up. It is partly due to my own determination and commitment to do what I do, and partly due to circumstances that people want to have things happen before Easter. I had the Wedding Saturday, which I got home from at midnight. I then left home at 6:30am Sunday to go to Rockdale near Sydney airport, then went back to the hire car place near home to return the Audi A6 I had hired, for the wedding the day before. I mourned the return of my new 4 wheeled friend and wished that it could linger a little longer! Then I went to church. After that I went back home to change, then off to Harvey Norman at Auburn to help sell for their HUGE camera SALE, as I was representing a major camera company. After that I then went home to change, then went out to a conference which I was at for some hours and then returned home and retired at 11pm. Whew! The danger of course is that I often don't get time to relax and smell the roses, but I am consciously seeking to chill when I can. This Easter will be great as I am taking some time off and am going to just relax and do the bare minimum.

As I mentioned previously, on Saturday morning last, I had booked an Audi A6 for me to drive for the wedding I was going to photograph. I just fell in love with the car. It hugged the road and cornering was a dream. The quiet zone created within the cabin was simply wonderful. It took me around 20 mins of looking and touching all of the buttons and dials initially to understand what everything did, but found the car to be quite intuitive. When I was weaving through the meandering roads of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, the car performed effortlessly. I am convinced when I put Tina Arena's CD in the glove box compartment concealed CD player, it said "Buy me"! I only had two creature comfort doubts with the car, and that was the height of the arm rest on the drivers door, which was either too low, or uncomfortably too high. Then the angle of the seat. It angles up and cuts into the back of my thighs after staying in the car for a while. I am sure my small issues could be addressed and corrected, were I to buy one, and I am looking! I loved the car. Audi - you certainly get my tick of approval. The Audi pictures above and on the interior I got from their online brochure. As I was at the wedding to photograph the Bride and groom I felt conscious to ensure I didn't stop and take too many pictures of the car though I sure wanted to!


The Wedding was beautiful. I loved the church at Leura and the reception was a quaint little place in Blackheath at the crest of the Blue Mountains. The couple were gracious and generous. I enjoyed being of service to them in a photographic capacity and in helping to create images that will live with their family for generations to come. I may have picked up another job or two from it as well which makes all the effort worth it.




A dear friend of mine, Colin Fragar (pictured above), was fulfilling an assignment to speak at church yesterday. Colin is young man who is just dynamic, he has co-written a book and is one of the most gracious and humble people I have ever known. He is around 26, single, very successful in business and makes you feel that for the few moments he spends with you, he is totally absorbed in you, or whomever he is speaking with. There is little talk of what HE does and is doing. He is an engaging person and its hard not to wonder where this man will go and what he can and will accomplish. I am grateful to know him. He is about to put all of his business and personal endeavours on hold as he goes and serves two years as a missionary for the church. In his address he made reference to a famous U.S Basketball coach John Wooden, who had led his team to 10 victories over as many years. He was asked by a reporter "What is the key to your success" to which John replied simply by saying, "We try to be brilliant at the basics". Colin's motive, I believe, for mentioning that, was to create a deeper pondering for all of us and serve as a call for us to become brilliant at the basic tenets of our faith and at being the best we can be generally. The thoughts that flowed to me as I pondered that statement and how it might apply to my own life were many, Thanks Colin. I just clicked on to John Wooden's website and find it very inspiring and commend a search.

http://www.coachjohnwooden.com/

I am so grateful for the friends I have and for the opportunities that come to me. It occurred to me last night at the conference, that inspiration and thoughts and choices are all around us. We have the internet, friends, work, social events, economic situations, stresses and so many other things that constantly clamor for our attention. Why is it that we choose to do what we do with the many distractions? I believe that for the most part we do the very best we can with the best of information we have at the time. I always try in the large number of elements that compete for my attention, to express my gratitude. I always try to stop at given moments of most days and take a mental snapshot of where I am, and how can I truly get the best out of myself and out of the day. I also ask myself questions at those moments, like "Am I on the path to the place I wish to be?" I am imbued with many imperfections, but I daily strive to find the best of what's within and move forward, exercising a little more faith in myself and in my dreams. I like the quote from John Wooden below;

Success is peace of mind which is a
direct result of self-satisfaction in
knowing you made the effort to do
the best of which you are capable

and on that note I leave today's post, and just express my gratitude to all of you who visit here. Many whom I do not know personally and some I do. To all of you I simply say, Thank you. It is a humbling thing for me to see and find that things I think about and say here find a small degree of resonance with many of you. It still amazes me, this internet stuff. I marvel that there are people all over the world who read what I say. One of my brothers and another of my friends said the blog is almost addictive! I am honoured. God bless you all.