On the last blog post of 2015 with Christine and her daughter, despite claiming that I would not use another Oscar Wilde quote, I included two.
The previous year, I started my post with a quote from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. Later in the post, I wrote a phrase to describe parental love. I called it "the importance of being Christmas." I still like it.
When I photographed Christine in 2014, I noticed her The Importance of Being Earnest book cover/box. I thought it might be a clue. More than a year ago, I searched for clues EVERYWHERE. I have since learned that I have prosopagnosia (or face blindness). I don't recognize people by their faces. However, in 2014, I just thought that people were intentionally changing identities and appearances like characters in a Wilde story. Now I wonder if Wilde was face blind.
The 2015 Christine and Ava blog post title is an intentional play on the Paul Simon song Mother and Child Reunion. I remembered the song being happier, so throughout the post, I misquote "Kodachrome" a different Paul Simon song. Trains reappeared again this year. (read the previous year's post.) The number two also connected the last four posts. Sometimes the number appeared literally. Sometimes a mother and child made a family. Two wild turkeys crossed the road. We didn't know why. (We didn't take their photo either.)
I photographed another mother and daughter the previous month... but mostly the daughter. Sometimes I include photos like this to document location. I also want to document that the mother was with us, even though we are good friends. I don't know if this is necessary or important, but I do it out of habit I guess. Photographing Haylie was really fun. I have known her mother since we were both in high school (we actually met as kids). I also enjoyed photographing Haylie, because she is photogenic. Many people correctly say that they are not photogenic. I am not. It's strange to come alive when someone points a tool at you, but some people do. Haylie does. It makes photography even more fun.
When I photographed The Women Who Code event, I kept seeing Two's. There was a Giving Tuesday promotion. WHC is a technology organization, so I thought about 2.0 and connecting through technology. I also thought about zeros and ones, but there was this big number 2 on the wall. I think it was produced with a 3D printer.
The final post was for the Epilepsy Gala. I tried to write as little as possible and still say a great deal. The author of the American with Disabilities Act is from Dos Palos, California, a small Central Valley town. When translated from Spanish, Dos Palos means "two sticks." I wanted to emphasize that often people who dance to their own drummer, or who come from unlikely places, transform the world. We often look to the big city for change, even though the outcast often comes to the big city and changes it. Those of us with epilepsy would do well to remember that we can change the world because we are out casts, instead of thinking we can do it despite of our status.
Those of us who are artists might want to remember something similar. I forget who said it, but it was probably some often quoted author referenced in another blog post, "No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist."
Six years ago today, I walked into the Epilepsy Foundation of America headquarters near Washington, D.C. I visited on a Friday the 13th, just as today.
I had been in town for a journalism education convention. A few months later, I returned for my first National Walk for Epilepsy. I have returned every Spring since then. I do not use this blog much now, but in November of 2009 I wrote often. Here are the blog posts from November 2009. Here is the post I wrote about my visit on Friday the 13th six years ago. In 2009, I was partially motivated by an event in New York City where a man fallen onto subway tracks after having a seizure.
Later this month I am going to write about epilepsy and creativity as part of National Epilepsy Awareness Month. I will probably acknowledge my Friday the 13th visit and how I remember Stevie Wonder's song "Superstition." I think about the "writing on the wall," and the "words of the prophets (that) are written on the subway walls in the "Sounds of Silence." I see and hear things that probably do not happen. I think that I see Katie Couric or Carrie Underwood and when I hear Taylor Swift's Back To December, I believe that she is singing to Edgar Allan Poe. Doubting, dreaming....
These are the notes to my blog post For All The World To See at www.bryanfarleyphotography.com. That post will also be used for the November 2015 Epilepsy Awareness Month.
The same week that I woke up singing Closer to the Heart, there were three concerts that I considered photographing. I have seen all three acts previously, but I was torn. When Little Big Town performed at an epilepsy event in 2011, my wife and kids met the band and watched the sound check. Now my wife lives in another home in another city. My kids were with her that week. Ashley Monroe opened for LBT and she writes songs for a heart like mine. She writes about truth and heart and words you write in yearbooks that you hope will come true, but probably don't. September 14th, the day of the show, was the day of "my first kiss." Sept 16th is the day I had my first real girlfriend. I have come to accept that I remember dates more than most people, in part because I forget faces. I also remember my first seizure was September 29th. I just count backwards.
These are the notes to my blog post For All The World To See at www.bryanfarleyphotography.com. I borrowed the title to For All The World To See from a quote in the book "Showdown" by Wil Haygood. The quote might be attributed to W.E.B. Du Bois. I also structured my post loosely on a one hundred year old Du Bois book. Haygood's book is about the nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the United States Supreme Court. It's a chilling history and one that Americans probably prefer to forget or ignore. When Marshall enrolled in law school, there were only 100 Black lawyers in the South. Blacks were not allowed in the American Bar Association. That is some of the "polite" information about the law.
Originally, I planned to use my earlier post, "In Search of Sacha Baron Cohen" as the notes section, but that post lacked energy, emotion and information. I was also stuck trying to "talk about it" while not sounding like I was complaining. I have an invisible disability that provides gifts and limits. Since I have chosen to be a leader, I want to inspire people to see the gifts and change the limitations that are based on prejudiced.
I started reading the Du Bois text about the history of African Americans when I realized that there was not an equivalent history about people with epilepsy. When Du Bois wrote, he knew that he was writing as an African American about African American history for African Americans. Because of his standing with his community, he knew his text would be viewed with significantly. Some people would listen. He probably did not know if a white person with epilepsy would be inspired by him more than one hundred years later.
Do people with epilepsy have something similar yet?
I used the Sacha Baron Cohen story as a metaphor and an example of my life with prosopagnosia and epilepsy. I actually looked for the actor. He could have been one of my students or colleagues. He could have been disguised as a parent. This also says something about the behavior of some of the people I meet, especially those in leadership. I thought they were acting like a Sacha Baron Cohen character.
Some other notes to the Bryan Farley Photography post
October 5th was World Teacher's Day. I have heard that some cultures respect teachers. Americans, at least the assimilated Americans, do not really respect teachers. I think of Teach for America as the best example. This is not so much a criticism of TFA as it is of our culture. TFA takes "smart" good intentioned recent college graduates and sends them to teach somewhere for two years. I have children and I have taught. I would not want my children taught by a recent college graduate with little life or professional experience. How did this become a good idea?
Do our leaders rush to send their kids to classes taught by first or second year TFA teachers? That is the test. If so, then we would know. I like politicians more than most people, but I would look at the places our elected officials send their children. How many federal elected officials have chosen to send their own children to classes taught by first or second year TFA teachers? (Again, this is not about TFA; America loves these types of programs, especially for other people's kids.)
October 6th was the day that Gov. Brown signed the Equal Pay legislation authored by Sen. Hannah Beth-Jackson. I knew Hannah-Beth when I worked for Walter Capps. I like her. October 6th was also the day Jessica Mendoza made history as the first woman Major League announcer for a post season game.
October 7 - would have been my Dad's 75th birthday. it is the anniversary of the first recording of Somewhere Under the Rainbow. I believe that October 7 was also the 50th anniversary of the Autobiography of Malcolm X. I think both (Wizard of Ox and the autobiography) are essential 20th Century American texts.
October 8 - was national Poetry Day. I included a post and thought about the musicians and poets.
October 9 - Lennon would have turned 75. He was a world leader, dreamer and poet.
Some more thoughts:
While writing, I realize that I overestimated my qualifications, in part, because I underestimated the value that many people place on diversity. I thought that I would be seen as more qualified for sending my children to an OUSD Spanish bilingual district school. Instead, I may have been seen as more crazy. I may have also been seen as poor, which is unforgiveable for a white person. I recall my grandmother's shame about being poor during the Depression. She hated "white trash" even more than the African Americans who she would call by a different name (even in public to their face.)
The day after Governor Brown signed equal pay legislation, he signed legislation to monitor potential oil spills that Hannah-Beth also sponsored. Santa Barbara is considered the birth place of the environmentalist movement. Santa Barbara, I believe, is also the place where off-shore oil drilling started. Modern day environmentalists are not anti-industry as some would have you believe. They are against have oil spill onto their beaches. Some might say, "those aren't your beaches." But they are. Beaches are public spaces. Oil covered dead birds on public beaches is bad for business and for health.
I remember the story about Fred Hampton from watching the Civil Rights documentary Eyes on The Prize. I wonder if there is a way for those of us with epilepsy to speak up for Sandra Bland. How do we cross the color line, or class line or gender line if necessary? See Eyes on the Prize at 27 minute mark. I am Fred Hampton
I also viewed my old EpilepsyFeatured Blog where I asked the question If I Talk About It will Anybody Listen? Perhaps those of us with epilepsy are at a stage where we need to write for each other. We need to support each other and in 100 years, someone will look back to us for inspiration.
Last weekend, my nine year old son Mason asked me if I remembered the awards show with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. Mason sort of told me two of Paisley's jokes from the 2014 CMA Awards, even if Mason missed one of the references.
I had wanted to take Mason to Paisley's concert the day before, but we attended an important capoeira event for Mason. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art/dance/really-hard-thing-to-do and people attended from different countries and states to support him and other students. Besides, Mason is a bigger Tim McGraw fan.
Anyway, Mason remembered Paisley joking about the guy who "got on his horse but Carrie kept telling Brad that he was still there." Mason had to repeat himself a few times before I realized he was talking about George Strait. You mean, "The cowboy rides away?"
I had wanted to include this story and the other joke Mason remembered in the Bryan Farley Photography post about Paisley contacting me, but I could not find a way to include everything. Though capoeira is a martial art, many people use it to strengthen communities. Younger people supported by older people. When people become old, they are still masters. Masters continue teaching. Country music has a similar tradition. Outsiders will not recognize some of the misdirection and humor. Younger players will not understand all of the adult jokes or references, but everyone can be included at their own level.
Play is an important part of both traditions. Musicians play. Capoeiristas play. Both play music too. I would rather Mason remember playing with older people or musicians than remember the difficulties of dealing with epilepsy. Before my kids were born, I wanted to change how I lived. Shortly after my first child was born, I became more committed. I am glad that my son likes celebrities based on his own values.
My daughter is the same way. When Paisley first contacted me, she said, "If you want to wow me...." Then she gave me a list of three other people who needed to contact me before she was going to be impressed. Oh well. That is the way it should be. I don't want my kids to be impressed with me because a famous person contacts me.
At least my kids believed me. When I arrived at the amphitheatre, nobody seemed to believe me. I figured. This was not my first concert, but this was the first time my cameras have been held while I waited. Finally, someone confirmed my story. It was funny. I don't think Brad's people believed that he contacted me either. Someone from his team took me backstage and said something about me sending him a tweet or something... like he is Tim McGraw or something. :)
Yesterday, Little Big Town had planned to play in the Bay Area, but needed to reschedule because one member needed surgery. Both of my children have met the band. My son was concerned about the person who might be hurt. This sounds strange, but my son cares about the people in the band. It is one of the benefits of their father having epilepsy. Here is a picture of my son when he was four or five.My daughter had just turned 7.
Here are a couple of my photos of Little Big Town and Josh Turner. You can view more of my photography site. There are some touching moments of the concert organizer's family and Little Big Town. It is just one example of an artist contributing to the community. We often do not see these little moments, but they exist. Those of us with epilepsy, know that others live with invisible stories. Sometimes celebrities live with something hidden.
Before I finish this notes section, there were more photos that I wanted to include in the other blog post and I didn't. There was a photo of group of women that I eliminated at the very end. I really enjoyed meeting the group and I liked the photo. I also wanted to keep the photo, because the women were standing next to row H2 and water bottles were above the H2 sign. (Paisley sang his hit song "Water" at the concert too.) I just couldn't find a way to include it without a lengthy explanation... so I am waiting to include it here.
Thirty years ago today I had my first seizure. When I started this blog, I began writing about living with epilepsy, especially how I saw the world through a camera. I miss some of the old posts now that I have moved much of my writing to my blog at www.bryanfarleyphotography.com.
Today my 8 year old son took my photo. My 10 year old daughter and my 8 year old son went out to eat burritos. Is there anything better?
I did not take many pictures today. I took a few awkward self portraits (see the one above.) I also asked my photography students to take pictures today. Otherwise, I reflected on the last 30 years.
If you want to read more about epilepsy, you can read this whole category. Some post have not been categorized, but you can still find enough words and pictures.
Bryan Farley dot Com I own my name.
This site is my primary photography website. The embeddable photo slideshows that appear throughout my blogs are from Photoshelter. I have been a customer since 2006. Unfortunately, the flash slideshows do nothing for SEO.
